Mystery Babylon: The Abomination
of Desolation?
(http://spiritualbiblestudies.com)
Preface Page
3
Introduction Page
4
Chapter One The Abomination Of Desolation: A
Brief Synopsis Page 9
Chapter Two Babylon
of Scripture and “Mystery Babylon” Page 12
Chapter Three Old
Testament Commentary:
Babylon is Fallen, is
Fallen! (Isaiah 21:1-10) Page
16
Chapter Four The
Woman in the Wilderness Page
27
Chapter Five The
Woman upon the Scarlet Colored Beast Page
29
Chapter Six The
Woman’s Apparel Page
32
Chapter Seven The
Woman: Having a Golden Cup in ‘Her’ Hand Page
35
Chapter Eight The
Woman: Drunken with the Blood
of
the Saints Page
37
Chapter Nine The
Woman Reigneth Over the Kings
of
the Earth Page
40
Chapter Ten Babylon
the Great is Fallen, is Fallen Page
44
Chapter Eleven The
Merchants of the Earth Page
46
Chapter Twelve Her
Merchants Have Waxed Rich Page
53
Chapter Thirteen Merchants
Have Become Rich from Abundance of
Her
Delicacies Page
56
Chapter Fourteen All
Things Dainty & Goodly are Departed from Thee Page 60
Chapter Fifteen (a) The
Merchant’s Merchandise (no longer found) Page
64
Chapter Fifteen (b) The
Merchant’s Merchandise (continued) Page
71
Chapter Fifteen (c) The
Merchant’s Merchandise (no longer found) Page
79
Chapter Fifteen (d) The
Merchant’s Merchandise (no longer found) Page
86
Chapter Fifteen (e) The
Merchant’s Merchandise (no longer found) Page
93
Chapter Sixteen Her
Merchants are Weeping;
Tyrus’
Mariners are Wailing Page
96
Chapter Seventeen Praise
No Longer Heard; Tyrus Too Page 100
Chapter Eighteen Her
Plagues: One Day
Her
Desolation: One Hour Page
104
Chapter Nineteen Babylon is ‘Become’:
Habitation of Devils; Hold of
Foul
Spirits; Cage of Unclean and Hateful Birds Page
109
Chapter Twenty Mystery
Babylon is a Great City Page
122
Chapter Twenty-One Those
Who Stand Afar Off Page
125
Chapter Twenty-Two Conclusion Page
131
MYSTERY BABYLON:
THE ABOMINATION
OF DESOLATION?
(Spring 1994, Updated 1998)
P R E F A C E
The purpose of this study is to
examine the Babylon of Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen. Scripture
declares Babylon
to be a "mystery," of which her identity has been kept secret
throughout biblical history. In studying this end-time Babylon, we will draw much insight from Old
Testament passages, many of which ultimately pertain to her. God has kept her
identity concealed and obscured in His Word down through the centuries, waiting
to be revealed at the "time of the end," when much knowledge of
end-time scripture would finally be disclosed, Daniel 12:4. This study is
designed to advance the probable identity of this "mystery"
woman.
In examining the theme of this
study, it should be noted that in no way will this material dwell on certain
matters of scripture while neglecting scripture's crucial decree that all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All of mankind is in
desperate need of the only escape from the surety of an eternal damnation. All
are in desperate need of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, from which there is
no other way to obtain eternal salvation (Act 4:12). The call to the Gospel of
Christ cannot be avoided if one is sincere and honest with regard to biblical
interpretation. The Gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus is inescapable
regardless of where one looks within the pages of the Bible. As we examine
Mystery Babylon, we will, in essence, be studying the history line of the
Gospel of Christ.
Finally, anyone reading this
report who cannot be absolutely certain of his or her salvation should lay this
material aside and earnestly seek the salvation of the Lord. We are entering an
era unparalleled in the history of civilization. An era that has little
tolerance for religious identities or individualities. An age that is
discarding religious practices, (Christian or otherwise) for a more suitable
form of religion that will unite the masses into one exclusive and undivided
totality of religious order. Indeed we are living on the very threshold of what
ancient scripture labels "The Abomination of Desolation." The
only true light this world has is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God's light is
rapidly fading in accordance with His divine will. The Holy Spirit's
restraining influence has been decreasing for decades among the so-called
Christian congregations. Thus it was foretold how God would remove His power of
restraint among the churches at the end of time (II Thessalonians 2:7-8). This
light has nearly faded away by the Father's will. Christ's return appears
imminent. Salvation for these dark days is rare, nonetheless there is still
hope in this present hour.
"SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE
MAY BE FOUND, CALL YE UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR." (Isaiah 55:6)
I N T R O D U C
T I O N
Let us examine the probable
identity of the "mystery" woman, the great harlot of Revelation
chapters seventeen and eighteen. She is given the title "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the
Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth," Revelation 17:5. Babylon has been with us
in scripture dating all the way back to the tenth chapter of Genesis. The name
"Babylon,"
meaning confusion, is derived from the Hebrew word "Balal" 1*(baw-lal'),
meaning to be mingled or confounded. As man built upon the land of Shinar,
which later became part of the Babylonian Empire, they decided they needed to
build a city and a tower whose top would reach unto heaven itself, for the
purpose of making a name for themselves. Their motives were selfish and
man-glorifying, as we read from Genesis 11:4:
"And they said, go to, let us
build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole
earth."
The emphasis is on man, and not
on God. It is on man's work, but at the same time their desire was, by means of
their own works, to build a city and a tower whose top would somehow reach up
to heaven itself. They wanted heaven (and all of the gods they thought were
there) and they wanted to maintain a name for themselves as well. Why did they
profess such a great desire to reach up into heaven with their city and tower?
It was the result of sinful pride. Their desire was to establish a name for
themselves. The word "city," in which they desired to build, (whose top
would reach into heaven), is a word in the Hebrew language signifying
"city, court, or town." It is rooted from the word 2*"uwr"
(oor) and carries the idea of opening the eyes; to awake, to lift up
oneself, or to raise up. Their ambition was to build a city and a tower.
The word "tower" is rooted from the Hebrew word "gaw-dal'"
and carries the idea of advancing oneself; to boast, to exceed, to wax
great, to magnify, to proudly promote. This city and this 3*tower
was a representation of their own pride, having nothing at all in association
to the true God. It was a false religion, acquired through the works of their
own hands. Satan was attempting to mimic God's one true "city" and
"tower" through these early Babylonians. Scripture gives us a vast
amount of references showing that the kingdom of God
is symbolized as a "city" and a "tower." For example, God
is portrayed as a "strong tower" in Psalm 61:3 and again in Proverbs
18:10. Song of Solomon describes God's kingdom as the "tower of David,"
4:4. Christ is also said to be the "tower of the flock" in Micah 4:8.
These ancient Babylonians craved the idea of building their own
"city" and "tower," which spiritually may prove to
represent their own religion; their own pagan "works" gospel apart
from the true Gospel of Christ.
Scripture tells us that the LORD
came down to see this city and this tower that the sons of men were building.
In Genesis 11:6 God reveals the arrogant attitude of these people. From the
beginning of this building project their attitude was one in which nothing
would stand in their way of finishing this venture. Nothing could be restrained
or withheld from their own fleshly desires, which they purposed to accomplish,
Genesis 11:6 declares. Seeing this, God states in verse seven: "Let us
[being the Godhead: Father, Son, & Holy Ghost] go down, and there confound
their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." We
learn from Genesis 11:8 that God scattered them abroad throughout the face of
the earth, and they ceased from building the city. They were of one language,
and God confused their language and scattered them. Verse nine declares:
"Therefore is the name of
it called babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the
earth."
The definition of the word Babylon can be said to
mean "confusion." God confused their language and scattered them upon
the face of the whole earth. Man's original purpose to the city of Babylon was one of which
its people could have their gods, even heaven itself, and yet maintain their
own destiny. Instead, God sends them confusion. This is the first mention of Babylon in scripture, and we can see the religious
implications associated with this city of Babylon.
As we study Babylon throughout scripture we can
expect to encounter this trait of confusion and apostasy remaining with her
right up to the last mention of Babylon
in the eighteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation. She is thrown down, not to
be remembered any more. Throughout scripture God condemns Babylon for her pride, and because of this
she is associated with rebellion toward God. Many passages in the Old Testament
pertaining to Babylon find their ultimate and
final spiritual fulfillment within the Babylon
of the "time of the end," (Daniel 12:4). Yet, at the same time the
literalism of historic Babylonian biblical history was fulfilled during those
ancient days. Babylon
of old was destroyed. She was destroyed and became a desolation and a dry land,
as scripture tells us. It eventually was abandoned and became uninhabited,
remaining much the same to this very day. This, however, is falling far too
short of being God's final outcome and teaching of Babylon. God has much
more in view, in regard to the lesson we can learn from Babylon, than a mere ancient city being
destroyed because of her pride toward God. All the nations of the earth fall
under this category. All nations, as a whole, are proud toward God. Scripture
names only one nation that is truly humble and God-fearing, and that nation is God's
spiritual "nation," consisting of all true believers in Christ, both
Jew and Gentile, 1 Peter 2:9. Concerning the spiritual lessons revealed within
this end-time Babylon, God has much for us
today, and especially today, since history has indeed caught up with the Babylon of the Book of
Revelation.
Among the majority of books ever
written concerning the end-time Babylon,
the authors most often find its fulfillment in either the Roman Catholic Church
or some nation or city of the earth. Some, who are very faithful to the Word,
simply assign it to the world in general. This is indeed correct, since Babylon encompasses the
things of the unsaved world. Babylon
of old did represent the world in general. Notwithstanding, God does not assign
the Babylon of
the end-times (the Babylon of Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen) to
solely represent the world and nothing more. These chapters are not speaking of
a literal fall and judgment of the world. The world in general spiritually fell
back in the Garden of Eden. Its literal destruction is sure to come
at the last day. The fall of Babylon,
in which God focuses on in the accounts given in chapters seventeen and
eighteen of the Book of Revelation, is not to be confused with the literal destruction
of the world. God is describing something more perplexing and puzzling to us
than the earth's destruction at the last day. These chapters, when read
superficially, would at first glance seem to be describing the literal
destruction of a city named Babylon.
As Babylon of
old pictured the world in general, these chapters would surely be describing
the world's destruction. This, however, appears not the case. There is a
spiritual and symbolic teaching concerning Babylon which runs throughout scripture like
a thread, culminating in chapter eighteen of the Book of Revelation. There is
something incomprehensible, something mysterious, something of amazement and
astonishment to all who come to a more clear understanding of these passages.
When scripture speaks of the
last days, it can be speaking of the entire Church-Age, since we read many
times in the epistles that the early Church had entered into the last days.
However, chapters seventeen and eighteen of Revelation are not speaking of the
last days, but are specifically focusing on the "time of the end,"
which is a precise number of days labeled as "great tribulation" in
Matthew 24:21 and elsewhere. This time frame is followed immediately by the
second coming of Christ. These chapters are speaking of a certain period of
time at the very end of this age, a time when the "transgressors" of
God have reached their fullness (Daniel 8:32). A time period in which God will
spiritually judge the outward and corporate church (Daniel 8:14). Therefore, these
chapters in Revelation, with regard to Babylon,
are speaking of the very worse conditions possible; degradation to the highest
extent. She - Babylon,
the great harlot - is being judged. This is not the literal judgment of the
world, in which the world will be judged at the last day. No, Babylon is pictured in these two chapters as
being judged just prior to or during the great tribulation period immediately
proceeding the second coming of Christ.
When we examine and study the Babylon of the Old Testament, we find that God prophesies
much in reference to her, which in the spiritual sense will be fulfilled only
and ultimately within the confines of the end-time Babylon. This Old Testament Babylon
spiritually points to its ultimate or final fulfillment within the end-time
entity here on earth known by God as Babylon.
Its descriptions are symbolic in nature and reflect the many allegories, types
and figures used in Old Testament days, which pointed to its final and
spiritual manifestation upon the earth. When we examine chapters seventeen and
eighteen of Revelation we find, first of all, that this Babylon has embraced a full and complete
harmony and fellowship with the religious and counterfeit attributes of Satan. Babylon is pictured as
"sitting" upon the beast that has ascended out of the bottomless pit
(Revelation 17:3). To "sit" as is used here has to do with
"residing" or "dwelling with". In other words, this time
frame has to do with the great tribulation period in which Satan (the beast) is
loosed upon the earth to spiritually deceive all whose names are not written in
the spiritual book of life from the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8).
It is imperative to understand the fact that Satan was indeed spiritually bound
at the Cross. Hebrews 2:14 tells us: "Forasmuch then as the children are
partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil." The resurrection of the Messiah - the Christ - was a
death blow to Satan, a fatal wound that ensured his destruction. Yes, in 1
Peter 5:8 scripture declares: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour." We must understand that Satan's influence in the church age is
indeed limited, allowing Christ's Gospel to flourish. Satan and his fallen
angelic beings are still very much an active force in this world. As in the Old
Testament days when Satan's kingdom was successful in hindering true salvation,
once more this will be the case during the great tribulation. Revelation 17:8
declares: "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend
out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the
earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and
yet is." This reference can only be alluding to Satan as he was destroyed
at the Cross and yet will be released for a "little season" at the
end of time (Revelation 20:3), i.e. at the completion of the church age.
This end-time kingdom of Satan
"carries" Babylon,
as Revelation 17:7 states. She dwells or resides with the beast. Concerning Babylon, there are three
prominent descriptions mentioned in characterizing her. They are:
1. Babylon is a symbolic "woman," as
referred to six times in Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen.
2. Babylon is a symbolic harlot or whore
mentioned four times in these two chapters. Babylon is referenced as "her"
twenty-nine times in these two chapters, and as "she" five times.
3. Finally, Babylon is referenced as "That Great
City" five times in these two chapters.
This report will give clear
indications why the woman, this spiritual mother of harlots, this great city
Babylon is in fact pictured in the Book of Revelation as something other
than the world at its destruction at the second coming of Christ. God is
displaying the spiritual condition of the confessing worldwide church of Christ during the great tribulation
period leading up to Judgment Day itself. Babylon
the Great does not depict the Roman Catholic Church, nor is it describing any
particular denomination for that matter. It is not picturing other false
religions, simply because all false religions have always been pagan religions
of the world, and are not affiliated in any way with the "mystery" of
which the New Testament Greek embraces with regard to "Mystery
Babylon," (see "Babylon of Scripture and Mystery Babylon" of
this study). These chapters in the Book of Revelation appear to be picturing a
great harlot clothed with the spiritual apparel and decor that is assigned only
to the true and faithful Church
of Christ. These two
chapters show how God's own earthly representation - His worldwide church
itself - has FALLEN into spiritual fornication. So much so that many
believers are finally forced to flee out from among her, while multitudes
remain spiritually blind and stay within this "Christian appearing"
imitation church. This is the time of great deception. So great in fact, that
if it were possible, God's very elect would be deceived by this, Matthew 24:24
tells us. Babylon the Great, the corporate church of Jesus Christ, has left most of the true
believes behind. The great "falling away" within the corporate church of Christ has reached its crest. The church
has opened its doors and has received with open arms the world, along with all
of its abominations and sins against God. This is the description of much of
God's confessing church today. They have merged into the world, they have
accepted the world (Babylon) into their very own
congregations, thus God labels this false church - "Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and
Abominations of the Earth." These are they who are still in the world and
yet claim to belong to Christ. As with the first city of Babylon, they claimed to know God but wanted
their own way. They only appear to conform and belong to the true Church, but
they are false Christians. God has only one city, the true and spiritual City
of Jerusalem,
while the false or apostate city is Satan's imitation of the true city.
This false city is pictured as the kingdom
of Satan within the
corporate church. Therefore, these chapters of Revelation are showing us the
climax of apostasy running rampant and prevailing in the church in these final
days as congregations worldwide are desecrated by the abominations of Satan
through unsaved religious man.
We need only examine the
characteristics of this great city, keeping in mind that Satan is the great
imitator of God, and we will discover that within this city are found much of
the spiritual attributes assigned to the true Church, the Great and Holy City.
It is important to keep in mind that this city of merchants in Revelation
chapter eighteen is not a literal city of merchants who buy and sell material
merchandise. When one reads these chapters without comparing with scripture the
many descriptions given of this city, the only logical conclusion is to assume
that these chapters, and especially chapter eighteen, are speaking of the
material riches of this world. This is not so. We must compare this
merchandise with its usage in the rest of scripture, remembering that everyone
who proclaims the true gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus is a spiritual MERCHANT
in scripture. Our merchandise is the "good news" (gospel of
salvation), and this spiritual merchandise is typified by many descriptions of
the literal furnishings and decor found in the Old Testament Tabernacle in the
Wilderness and again in Solomon's Temple, of which both pictured the one true
Temple of God, the Church of Jesus Christ worldwide.
The chapters in this study are
disclosed as highly conclusive biblical data. It is not the intention of this
study to introduce interesting reading while not arriving at any concrete
conclusions. Any other discoveries that will lend credibility to this report
but are found to be lacking in biblical support will not be included.
This report concludes that
Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen are not presenting Babylon as two distinct
entities, nor are they describing the physical destruction of the world, a city
or empire at the last day. Rather, this study asserts that the Babylon
of these two chapters is in fact the 4*corporate church of Jesus Christ
as seen immediately prior to and during the "great tribulation,"
symbolized by "one hour" (Rev. 17:12; 18:10,17,19). This harlot is
indeed the corporate church of Jesus Christ as she slips irreversibly into
the clutches of the kingdom
of Satan. She is the
outer court of God's Temple
(Rev. 11:2). The account of her destruction (as seen from Revelation chapter
eighteen) is in fact God's judgment upon the corporate church worldwide. The
destruction of this harlot comes in the form of spiritual liquidation
and not as much in the form of physical or material destruction, as many
assume. The woman's spiritual decay comes as God revokes His true Gospel from
her midst.
FOOTNOTES:
1* "Baw-lal" #1101 Strong's Hebrew. To
overflow (spec. with oil); by impl. to mix; also (denom. from 1098) to
fodder:-anoint, confound, fade, mingle, mix (self), give provender, temper.
2* "oor" Strong's Hebrew #5782 - rooted from # 5892
"city" - through the idea of opening the eyes; to wake (lit. or
fig.): awake, lift up (self), master, raise (up), stir up (self).
3* "gaw-dal'" Strong's Hebrew #1431 rooted from
"tower." A prim. root; prop. to twist, i.e. to be (caus.make) large
(in various senses), as in body, mind, estate, or honor, also in pride: -
advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be (come, do, give, make, wax),
great, lift up, magnify, promote, proudly, tower.
4* CORPORATE: Throughout this study the word "corporate" will
be used in referring to the worldwide church of Jesus Christ.
The corporate church consists of both Christians and those who are masquerading
as Christians (non-believers). True believers are a part of the corporate
church, which is simply the outer shell of the real Church; unbelievers cannot
be a part of the one true Church of Jesus Christ. This paper will spell church
with a small "c" when referring to the corporate church; and capital
"C" when alluding to the true Church.
CHAPTER ONE
The Abomination
Of Desolation: A Brief Synopsis
The
phrase "abomination of desolation" is indeed a biblical phrase.
Christ spoke of it in the Gospels.
"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:)"
"Then let them which be in Judea
flee into the mountains:" (Matthew 24:15-16)
"But when ye shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them
that be
in Judea flee to the mountains." (Mark
13:14)
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with
armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." "Then let them which are in Judea flee
to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let
not them that are in the countries enter there into." (Luke 21:20-21)
Matthew and Mark's accounts are
nearly identical. Luke uses somewhat different language, but all are speaking
of the same event, and all are contributing information. The Bible declares
that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God," therefore we
realize that each slightly different account only adds to our information, and
nothing in scripture contradicts scripture. The only difference between Matthew
and Mark's accounts is that Matthew says that the abomination of desolation
will stand in the "holy place," while Mark says that it will stand
where it "ought not." Mark is actually saying the exact same thing.
These books of scripture were written for the New Testament Church. With that
in mind, where would the "holy place" be in reference to? It could
only be the New Testament spiritual Temple
of God; His Church.
Scripture tells us that Christ is our true Temple,
and every born-again believer is a part of that Temple (John 2:21; I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19).
"If any man defile the temple of God,
him shall God destroy; for
the temple of God is holy, which temple ye
are." (I Corinthians 3:17)
Matthew and Mark's statements
tell us that the abomination of desolation will stand in the "holy
place" or "where it ought not." We then know immediately that
the holy place is the New Testament Temple. The congregations of the earth are
where the Temple
of God is to be found
during the Church-Age. Of course we must realize that there will be false
believers or non-believers among the true Christians, but nonetheless this is
where the Temple
of God is found on earth.
In Luke's account we find more
information concerning the abomination of desolation. Luke 21:20 differentiates
the language somewhat, which only helps to confirm Matthew and Mark's account.
Instead of saying "when ye shall see the abomination of desolation
standing in the holy place" (or standing where it ought not), Luke says
the same thing this way: "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, know that
the desolation in nigh." The word "Jerusalem" in Luke is substituted for
"holy place" in Matthew and Mark. Likewise, the phrase
"compassed (encircled) by armies" in Luke is substituted for
"standing in the holy place, or where it ought not" in Matthew and
Mark. So then God is telling us that Jerusalem
is another term for the Temple
(holy place) of God. The name Jerusalem
means "habitation of peace," and this is where our real peace is to
be found. Not in the literal city of Jerusalem,
nor in any of the congregations of the world, but in Christ Jesus, who is also
the Jerusalem of scripture and the chief
cornerstone of the New Testament spiritual Temple. Jerusalem
is used many times throughout scripture in reference to God's Church; His
earthly representation. Jerusalem is also used
as the name of the believers' eternal home, the new and heavenly Jerusalem.
When Luke states that Jerusalem will be compassed about with armies, we must
realize that these armies are the spiritual forces of Satan, such as the false
congregations overtaking the church (the spiritual Jerusalem). It is this spiritual warfare that
is in view, and not literal and physical armies of the world. We understand
this to clearly be saying that Jerusalem
(symbolizing the New Testament Temple) is about to be overran. The Temple is about to be
defiled! What does this mean? It is an abomination to God to defile His Temple.
It is an abomination that will make desolate the Temple of God.
It is the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet and
referenced by Christ Himself (with warnings!) in three of the gospels. Jesus
says: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not
with me scattereth abroad," Matthew 12:30. There is no middle ground with
which to flee and remain neutral. The abomination of desolation is simply when
the enemies of Christ (unsaved, but common everyday people) gradually overtake
and contaminate, pollute, and defile the congregations of the world with their
own versions of what salvation should be. It is their worldly false gospels.
This will occur at the time appointed, at the "latter time" when the
"transgressors are come to full," Daniel 8:23.
Why did Christ refer us back to
Daniel? The abomination of desolation is spoken of in many places throughout
the book of Daniel. In chapter nine we read that "...the people of the
prince that shall come shall destroy [defile] the city [spiritual Jerusalem] and the
sanctuary [the holy place]...," Daniel 9:26. Speaking of this sanctuary,
the New Testament Temple of God, Daniel declares in verse 27: "...and for
the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until
the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
This event is also spoken of in II Thessalonians 2:3-4:
"Let no man deceive you by
any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
"who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God."
Throughout much of scripture one
can read of the desolation of the literal city of Jerusalem during Old Testament days.
Ultimately these occurrences pointed to the final and spiritual desecration of
the spiritual Jerusalem
shortly before Judgment Day. God has given us much insight into this time of
great tribulation, in which Satan and his ministers of righteousness (common
everyday people) will cunningly cut off the true gospel of salvation and
discretely replace it with false gospels that appear much like the real Gospel
of Christ. We are even warned by Jesus Himself that this final deception in the
church would, if it were possible, deceive even the very elect! That is how
awesome and thoroughly deceptive this time will be. Few people will become saved
because of this massive onslaught by Satan, in his final attempt to destroy the
true Gospel of Christ.
It is the belief and conviction
of this study that such an event of this magnitude would not escape an analysis
or commentary in the book of Revelation. Secondly, it is suspected that the
abomination of desolation is indeed examined in great detail in the seventeenth
and especially the eighteenth chapter of the book of Revelation. The customary
teachings of the eighteenth chapter have always laid down the same conclusions;
the physical destruction of a physical city, or a physical country, or even the
literal world itself. By comparing scripture's symbolism (of which much of this
chapter embraces) with Old Testament scripture, the light begins to dawn on
just precisely what this destruction is. This study affirms in all probability
that Revelation chapter eighteen is not teaching a literal destruction of any
city, country, or even the world, but is particularly emphasizing the
defilement and the spiritual destruction of the corporate church worldwide,
shortly before the second coming of Christ the Lord.
CHAPTER TWO
Babylon of Scripture and "Mystery" Babylon
Never in all of scripture do we
find the phrase "Mystery Babylon" until we reach Revelation chapter
seventeen and verse five:
"And upon her forehead was
a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
"Mystery Babylon"
is clearly a separate entity and is distinct from all past mentions of Babylon in scripture.
"Mystery Babylon"
is the consummation and the completion of all church iniquity of which much of
Old Testament scripture prophesied. Mystery Babylon seems to be the abomination of
desolation spoken of throughout the Old Testament and confirmed by Christ
Himself.
The word "Mystery" is
translated from the Greek word 5*musterion (moos-tay'-ree-on) and is
defined from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words as follows:
6*"Musterion, primarily that
which is known to the mustes, "the initiated" (from mueo, "to
initiate into the mysteries." In the New Testament it denotes, not the
mysterious (as with the English word), but that which, being outside the
range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by divine
revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and
to those only who are illumined by His Spirit. In the ordinary sense a
"mystery" implies knowledge withheld; its scriptural significance is
truth revealed. Hence the terms especially associated with the subject are
"made known," "manifested," "revealed,"
"preached," "understand," "dispensation." The
definition given above may best be illustrated by the following passage:
"EVEN THE MYSTERY WHICH HATH BEEN HID FROM AGES AND FROM
GENERATIONS, BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST TO HIS SAINTS," (Colossians
1:26)."
"Mystery"
is Used in the New Testament of the Following Subjects:
1. "Mystery" is used in
disclosing spiritual truth, as revealed in the Gospel.
"And though I have the gift
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing." (I Corinthians 13:2)
"Holding the mystery
of the faith in a pure conscience." (I Timothy 3:9)
7* Among the ancient Greeks
"the mysteries" were religious rites and ceremonies practiced by
secret societies into which any one who so desired might be received. Those who
were initiated into these "mysteries" became possessors of certain
knowledge, which was not imparted to the uninitiated, and were called "the
perfected," cf. (1 Cor. 2:6-16) where the Apostle has these
"mysteries" in mind and presents the Gospel in contrast thereto; here
"the perfected" are, of course the believers, who alone can perceive
the things revealed.
2. "Mystery" is used in
showing Christ, who is God Himself revealed under the conditions of human life.
"That their hearts might be
comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance
of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of
the Father, and of Christ." (Colossians 2:2)
"Withal praying also for
us, that God would open us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of
Christ, for which I am also in bonds." (Colossians 4:3)
2a. "Mystery" is used in
showing Christ submitting unto death:
"But we speak the wisdom of
God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had
they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (I
Corinthians 2:7,8)
2b. "Mystery" is used in
showing Christ raised from the dead:
"And without controversy
great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified
in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory."
(I Timothy 3:16)
2c. "Mystery" is used in
showing that the will of God to coordinate the universe in Him, and subject it
to Him, might in due time be accomplished:
"Having made known onto us
the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in him." (Ephesians 1:9,10)
2d. "Mystery" is used in
declaring the Gospel:
"Now to him that is of
power to stablish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures
of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made
known to all nations for the obedience of faith." (Romans 16:25,26)
3. "Mystery" is used in
showing Christ's body, i.e., the union of redeemed men with God in Christ:
"This is a great mystery:
but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:6)
"To whom God would make
known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27)
4. "Mystery" is used in
showing the rapture into the presence of Christ and those members of the Church
which is His Body who shall be alive on the earth at His Parousia:
"Behold, I shew you a mystery,
we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," (I Corinthians
15:51)
5. "Mystery" is used in
showing the operation of those hidden forces that either retard or accelerate
the Kingdom of Heaven:
"He answered and said unto
them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given." (Matthew 13:11)
"And he said unto them,
Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God:
but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables."
(Mark 4:11)
6. "Mystery" is used in
showing the cause of the present condition of national Israel:
"For I would not, brethren,
that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in
your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the
fullness of the Gentiles be come in." (Romans 11:25)
7. "Mystery" is used in
showing the spirit of disobedience to God:
"For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken
out of the way." (II Thessalonians 2:7)
"And upon her forehead was
a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelation 17:5)
"And the angel said unto
me, Wherefore did thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of
the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads
and ten horns." (Revelation 17:7)
The word "mystery" is
not found in the Old Testament. From the above New Testament verses we learn
that this word is strictly associated with the many secrets and mysteries of
God: mystery of the Gospel; mystery of God in Christ; mystery of the
crucifixion; mystery of the resurrection; mystery of the created universe;
mystery of the preaching of the gospel; mystery of Christ with His Church;
mystery of the rapture at the last day; mystery of the kingdom of God; mystery
of the blindness of national Israel; mystery of iniquity (within the church);
and Mystery Babylon. "Mystery" is therefore accordingly the companion
of God and His eternal Word. The only minor exceptions to this rule would be in
II Thessalonians chapter two, "the mystery of iniquity" and in
Revelation chapter seventeen, "Mystery Babylon." Nonetheless, both of
these passages continue to address the spirituality of the things of God.
All of this is being stated in
order to point out the clear fact that the word "mystery" is employed
in the New Testament to certify and to authenticate the secrets of the
mysteries of God. It is simply used as an adjective to describe being outside
the range of unassisted natural apprehension, with regard to the things of
God. Again, mystery is not defined as "mysterious" as it is in
the English language. Man can only comprehend these great mysteries by being
indwelt by God's Holy Spirit.
"But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I
Corinthians 2:14)
Therefore, when we read the
title "MYSTERY" (Rev. 17:5) we should realize immediately that this
Babylon of both chapters seventeen and eighteen in all probability could not
possibly be in reference to anything that is outside of the church (corporate
or otherwise). It certainly looks as though it could not pertain to the unsaved
(outside) world. The title alone tells us that Babylon of Revelation is
assuredly affiliated (although in the negative sense) with the church of Christ.
FOOTNOTES:
5* "Moos-tay'-ree-on" #3466
Strong's Greek. From a der. of "muo" (to shut the mouth); a secret or
"mystery" (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into
religious rites):-mystery.
6* "Mystery," from Vines
Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words - computer version.
7* Vines Expository Dictionary of
Biblical Words - computer version.
CHAPTER THREE
Old Testament
Commentary: Babylon
is Fallen, is Fallen!
(Isaiah 21:1-10)
Isaiah 21:1-10
1 - The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass
through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
2 - A grievous vision is
declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler
spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made
to cease.
3 - Therefore are my loins
filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that
travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing
of it.
4 - My heart panted, fearfulness
affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
5 - Prepare the table, watch in
the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
6 - For thus hath the Lord said
unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
7 - And he saw a chariot with a
couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he
hearkened diligently with much heed:
8 - And he cried, A lion: My
lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in
my ward whole nights:
9 - And, behold, here cometh a
chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is
fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken
unto the ground.
10 - O my threshing, and the
corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel, have I declared unto you.
The
abomination of desolation is a theme that runs throughout scripture; much of
the time being unnoticed by many. When we read of the cities of Judah or the cities of Israel being laid waste and made desolate, we
can know that these verses give us at least a partial glimpse of the end-time
abomination of desolation within the corporate church, i.e. spiritual Israel or spiritual Jerusalem. The Book of Lamentations, for
example, gives us much information concerning the destruction of the literal
city of Jerusalem.
Ultimately, however, these many verses teach of the final and spiritual
destruction of the corporate church once Satan is loosed and allowed to rule
within the congregations. In Isaiah chapter twenty-one we find a short account
that may very well be can alluding to the abomination of desolation. Space does
not allow for an extensive study of each verse, however the reader will profit
much by studying these verses
thoroughly. In verse two Isaiah declares that a grievous vision is revealed
unto him. We wonder what this
grievous vision is all about? Surely there must be many places in scripture
where God sends a grievous vision? Actually, the answer is no. This is the only
passage in all of scripture where God labels a vision to be a grievous vision.
Grievous in this verse means extremely sorrowful. It is a most severe and sorrowful vision.
AS WHIRLWINDS
IN THE SOUTH: VERSE ONE
In verse one God tells us where
this vision comes from. It comes from the desert or the wilderness. It comes
from a dry land, one in which is lacking the Gospel filled fountains and waters
of eternal salvation. This vision comes from a terrible land. Terrible is also
translated as dreadful, a terrible or dreadful land. This seems very much to be
a vision of the kingdom
of Satan as it enters
into the congregations of God. The unsaved make up the spiritual wilderness.
The kingdom of Satan is typified in scripture as a
nation (a wicked nation) or even a land.
"The burden of the desert
of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through;
so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land." (Isaiah 21:1)
A GRIEVOUS
VISION: VERSE TWO
In verse two God begins to
disclose this grievous vision to the prophet Isaiah.
"A grievous vision is
declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler
spoileth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made
to cease." (Isaiah 21:2)
The vision begins this way:
"The 8*treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously. The word
treacherous means "to transgress; to be unfaithful; to deal
deceitfully." Some translations read "the deceiver deceives,"
and this is exactly right. Verse two continues: "and the spoiler
spoileth." The word 9*"spoiler" and "spoileth"
is the same Hebrew word which means "to plunder; to lay waste; to ravage;
to destroy; to rob; to oppress." Some translations read "the deceiver
deceives and the plunderer plunders." Again, this is exactly right.
"The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler
spoileth," we read in King James Bible.
Verse two continues with the
vision: "Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the [her?] sighing thereof
have I made to cease." The Hebrew indicates that this can also read
"all of 10* [her] sighing." Elam and Media were pagan nations. Elam was the
oldest son of Noah's son Shem. His descendants were known as the Elamites. They
were idolaters, and in the time of Abram, their land encompassed much of the
known world. In the 500s B.C. Media became the most powerful empire in the
world. God has chosen Elam
and Media to represent the kingdom
of Satan (which is the
same as the kingdom of this world) in this vision. God commands Elam and Media
to "go up" and He commands them to "besiege." Besiege means
to "assault, to lay siege, or to inclose." But what or who is God
commanding Satan to assault? Verse two ends with God saying: "...all the
[her?] sighing thereof have I made to cease." One may naturally assume
that Satan's pillage and assaults would cause the joy and the singing to cease.
But why does God say the "sighing" will cease? Sighing means to
grieve or to lament. When we compare scripture with scripture, we find that
"sighing" is a distinctive characteristic of the church. Let us
consider just two of many possible verses:
David (the Psalmist) says:
"For my life is spent with
grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth
because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed." (Psalm 31:10)
Sigh is a negative word meaning
to groan or to mourn. David, as well as every believer sighs over their sins.
Knowing that Christ paid for our sins, and yet while we are in this body we
still sin, therefore we sigh over ours sins. Grieving and sighing over our sins
is something that non-believers are oblivious to. The unbelievers do not sigh
over their sins. Another beautiful verse on this matter is found in Ezekiel
9:4:
"And the LORD said unto
him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set
a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for
all the
abominations that be done in the midst thereof."
This is God's definition of what
it really means to be a true believer in the God of scripture. The only way
anyone can sincerely grieve and sigh over his sins is to become a "new
creature in Christ," (Galatians 6:15). For those who are sincere, God puts
a spiritual mark upon their foreheads. The only way anyone can truly sigh over
their sins is to be brought and humbled to the position of knowing that Christ
died for those sins. Then, if one is a true believer, he'll truly grieve and
sigh over his sins. And we will have God's spiritual mark upon our forehead;
meaning that we were purchased with a price and we belong to God.
PANGS HAVE
TAKEN HOLD UPON ME: VERSE THREE
Isaiah the prophet is horrified
when he sees (in this vision) Satan (the destroyer) and his kingdom plundering
- not the world, but plundering the Temple of God.
Isaiah, of course, has no idea when this vision will occur, but he knows what
is happening. Having heard only the beginning of this grievous vision, Isaiah
says that his loins were filled with pain, verse three.
"Therefore are my loins
filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that
travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing
of it." (Isaiah 21:3)
This vision caused Isaiah to
literally experience pain in his side. He also says that he was taken by pangs,
as the pangs of a woman that travaileth. He experienced severe pain, as a woman
with labor pains, because of this sorrowful vision. "I was bowed down at
the hearing of it." Isaiah is reiterating the horror of the vision and the
reaction that it has on him. He was bowed down at the hearing of it. What does
that mean? It means that he was literally thrown back, as if he were hit with
some type of force, the vision was that powerful. The word 11*"bowed"
as he was bowed down, is very different from the word "bow" as in to
bow in worship. They are defined in the Hebrew as "to wrest." Wrest,
which means to shift the position of or move; as if by vigorous twisting. In other
words Isaiah was literally moved by the horror of this vision. He was thrown
back or bowed down by it. Verse three continues as Isaiah says he was dismayed
at the seeing of it. Isaiah was, as if he were literally there in the vision.
He heard things and he saw things in this vision. He was dismayed, which in the
Hebrew means to tremble inwardly or to be alerted with great alarm.
FEARFULNESS
AFFRIGHTED ME: VERSE FOUR
In verse four Isaiah continues
to describe the physical effects that this vision has on him:
"My heart panted, fearfulness
affrighted me; the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me."
(Isaiah 21:4)
Isaiah's heart is racing. Terror
affrighted me, he says; it overwhelmed him. This is Isaiah's reaction to such a
horrifying vision that would not be totally and ultimately fulfilled until our
day. Again, Isaiah sees Satan and his kingdom (represented by Elam and Media)
which were vast areas of the ancient world. These countries are used to
represent the world in the same way that Egypt
or Assyria pictures the world in much of
scripture.
PREPARE THE
TABLE: VERSE FIVE
In verse five God tells Isaiah
what to do:
"Prepare the table, watch
in the watchtower, eat, drink; arise ye princes, and anoint your
shield." (Isaiah 21:5)
Notice carefully that the kingdom of Satan is not attacking and assaulting
the world in any way whatsoever. The non-religious world is nowhere in view in
this vision, as far as being the recipient of this assault. We know this
because in verse five the defense is being set in place. God says to prepare
the table. What does it mean to prepare the table? This is salvation
language altogether! God has prepared a table for every person called into His
kingdom. Psalm 23:5 says "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies," (The same Hebrew word "table"). But here in
Isaiah's vision, we are not told to prepare "a" table, but rather we
are told to prepare "the" table. And that table is God's table. The
word 12*"prepare" here in Isaiah in this context means
"to arrange; or to place in order." God is telling us in essence to
put our faith in order, or arrange your spiritual house. He is telling us to
prepare spiritually for the attack!
The Hebrew defines the *13table
as "by implication, a meal." Jesus Christ is our meal. It is figuratively
seen as the table prepared by Christ when He atoned for our sins by going to
the cross. He made it possible to eat and drink at His table. We feed on His
body, represented by the bread of the table. We spiritually drink of His blood,
represented by the drink of the table. This "table" then represents
Jesus Christ and His provision for us to become eternally saved. This table was
pictured far back in the tabernacle of the congregation in the wilderness. The
"table" of shewbread was a type of Christ's eternal table. God is
warning us in this vision: Prepare "the" table; put your spiritual
table in order; arrange your spiritual walk; BE READY! It seems quite
possibly that God, in this vision, is showing Isaiah the abomination of
desolation. As God allows Satan to rule in the congregations (as judgment upon
the corporate church), this causes "the sighing to cease," as
verse three says. Satan deceives and causes the unsaved within the corporate
church to disregard the truth of God; to disregard their sins. There is no
concern for the sin of adding and taking from the Word. There is no concern for
personal sin. There is no sighing! The sighing of the corporate church has
ceased, because Satan has deceived them into thinking all is well with their
eternal souls!
As we continue on in verse five,
God commands us to watch in the watchtower. Arrange our table and watch in the
watchtower. What is the watchtower? The Church is our watchtower, of course.
How do we watch? Not by watching the skies. We watch by reading and studying
the Word of God. This is where our defense is. "Arrange the table, watch
in the watchtower, eat and drink." This takes us back to Christ's table.
We eat and drink of Christ. Jesus said: "Whoso eateth my flesh, and
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last
day," (John 6:53). We continue to see that this vision has everything to
do with the church and only the church. The Table, the watchtower, the meal,
and the drink, and even the sighing. The outside world is not in view as the
focal point of this attack.
Verse five concludes by saying
"arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield." The word princes is also
translated as "rulers." God is warning the church and reiterating it
to the ministers, teachers, elders, etc. "Arise ye princes and anoint the
shield." Every believer is considered a "prince" of God. What is
the shield in reference to? Does it have anything to do with the things of God?
Of course the answer is yes. Christ is our shield. This word is also translated
as buckler. Psalm 18:30 says:
"As for God, his way is
perfect: the word of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all those that trust in him."
"O Lord our shield"
we read in Psalm 59:11.
"Thou hast given me the shield
of thy salvation." (Psalm 18:35)
Over and over again we read of
Christ being our shield. And now, in this grievous vision, God commands us to
"anoint the shield." We continue to see that this vision is dealing
strictly with the church. To 14*"anoint" carries the meaning
of consecration; "to consecrate oneself; to be set apart; to be
holy." Christ calls us to be holy as He is holy. And so as much as we can,
we need to consecrate ourselves for this duty or function. Repentance and holy
living is a crucial part of the Christian faith. In Isaiah 21:5 God commands
the church to anoint the shield. We are told to consecrate ourselves to Christ.
Every generation of believers are called to this anointing or this consecration.
But especially as we see Satan coming into the congregations with an
overwhelming number of false gospels and false signs and wonders. This is what
is spoken of in this vision of Isaiah chapter twenty-one. Even though it may
have had its partial and literal fulfillment in Old Testament national Israel, it looks as though ultimately its
fulfillment is at the end of time in the corporate church of Jesus Christ.
SET A WATCHMAN:
VERSE SIX
In verse six God declares:
"For thus hath the Lord
said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." (Isaiah
21:6)
A 15*watchman is someone
who, according to the Hebrew, is called to observe or to wait. As we go into
verse seven we should consider that the first six verses speak of the church
and warn the church. They also speak of the world (the dominion of Satan) as
the attacker. It speaks also of Isaiah himself, how this vision caused him
literal pain and grief. But now verse seven begins to detail somewhat the
grievous vision itself.
Old Testament
Commentary: Babylon
is Fallen, is Fallen! (Isaiah 21:1-10)
HARKEN DILIGENTLY: VERSE
SEVEN
"And he saw a chariot with a couple of
horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened
diligently with much heed." (Isaiah 21:7)
In verse six Isaiah is told to place a
watchman, and let the watchman declare what he sees. In verse seven we read
what this watchman saw. It is important to understand what is meant by the word
16*"horsemen." This word can mean either a steed (a war horse;
one that is attached to a vehicle or a chariot, and one that is not used for
mounting); or this word can also mean a driver (as the driver of a chariot). In
this context it might represent a chariot with two horsemen along with a
chariot of asses and a chariot of camels. Very difficult language to
understand. These chariots were pulled by two asses, two camels and two horses,
or so it seems. The number two is very prominent here. Two camels; two donkeys,
and two drivers. After seeing this, the watchman harkened diligently with much
heed. Meaning it is a very difficult vision to interpret. We can relate some of
the vision that seems to be correct without being too dogmatic about it. First
of all, where are the chariot of asses and camels in relation to the vision?
Are they passing through the world? Where are they passing through? Verse eight
gives us the answer.
I AM SET IN MY WARD WHOLE
NIGHTS: VERSE EIGHT
"And he cried, A lion: My Lord, I stand
continually upon the watchtower in
the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights." (Isaiah 21:8)
The watchman says that he stands continually
upon the watchtower in the daytime, and am set in his "WARD"
whole nights. 17*"Ward" is directly related to the safe
guarding of the church. It means to safeguard; to watch; to keep guard duty in
the house of God. This is where the watchman is and this is where the vision is
taking place. The horsemen and the chariots in this vision are seen in the
watchtower itself (which is another term for the church). They are passing
through. We know this to be true also because back in verse one we read
"...as whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it [speaking of the
vision] cometh from the desert, from a terrible land." This vision is
passing through "as" whirlwinds in the south pass through. The "south"
many times in scripture relates to the kingdom
of God, while the NORTH many times
represents the kingdom
of Satan. This vision is
passing through the SOUTH: the vision is seen in the church of God.
Returning back to verse seven the watchman
in the church sees one single chariot with two drivers; one driving two asses
and the other driving two camels. When scripture says a COUPLE of asses and a
COUPLE of camels, we might wonder what exactly does couple mean? "18*Couple"
is translated in scripture as "two" or "couple" or
"yoke," which is a team of two oxen or two animals. This is probably
where the word "couple" originated from; meaning a yoke of oxen, which
is two. And so the watchman sees one single chariot with two drivers; one driving
two asses and the other driving two camels. Scripture teaches that the number
"TWO" is representative of the church worldwide. Without question the
number two is symbolic of the corporate church, consisting of believers and
non-believers alike. But what about asses and camels? Why two of each? Can they
be associated with the church in any way? The answer is a definite yes. God,
perhaps, tells all who have ears to hear that this is speaking of the church
for the simple fact that He emphasizes the number two. And so what is so
familiar about the two asses? God uses the term wild asses to describe
believers. God says in Psalm 104 that He sends the gospel waters into the
valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the
field; the wild asses quench their thirst," (Ps. 104:10-11). God speaks of
His land, His kingdom as "the joy of wild asses" in Isaiah 32:14.
This would have to be speaking of believers as wild asses. Before we were saved
we were spiritually wild and stubborn as a wild ass. There are numerous other
verses to confirm this.
Why did our LORD ride into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday riding upon an
ass, and a colt the foal of an ass? He rode into Jerusalem driving two asses, not one. Was He
showing forth a spiritual picture of the gospel of the kingdom taming the wild
asses? The gospel will bring eternal peace to the worse of sinners. Zechariah
9:9 speaks directly of the Messiah's triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee:
he is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon a ass, and upon
the colt the foul of an ass." (Zechariah 9:9)
For a spiritual blessing read Genesis
49:10-11:
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the
gathering of the people be."
"Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the
choice vine; he
washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes."
The reason that this is said to bring a
wonderful blessing is not only because this again speaks of Christ's triumphant
entry into Jerusalem, but when we examine this Hebrew word 19*"colt"
we find that it carries a different meaning altogether then does the normal
definition of colt. It has a variety of meanings, but mostly it means "a
son (as the builder of the family." It can also mean in fewer and lesser
degrees a daughter. It also carries the meaning of anointed one; appointed;
branch, afflicted, firstborn. The astounding fact is that it is rooted from the
Hebrew word 20*"baw-naw," meaning to "build" or to
"rebuild." This is why Christ entered Jerusalem; to go to the cross that He may
BUILD His CHURCH, or we can even say that He may rebuild His church. He came to
seek that which was lost. He came to BRING BACK or to REBUILD the captivity of
Jacob. That which was lost at the fall of Adam and Eve in the beginning. One
will find a great blessing in studying out the word "colt" as it is
used in Genesis 49:11.
The watchman of this grievous vision sees a
chariot, one driver driving two asses and another driver driving two camels.
Camels can be affiliated with the Church as well. Let us list only two
references:
"All these men of war, that could keep
rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron
[Christ gives us a perfect heart] to make David king over all Israel: [David being a picture or type of
Christ, our king of kings over spiritual Israel]
and all the rest also of Israel
were of one heart to make David king." [It is only the believers who want
David as their king; that is Christ. The world does not want Christ in any way
to rule over them].
"Moreover they that were nigh them,
even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naph-ta-li, brought bread on asses,
and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs,
and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for
there was joy in Israel." (I Chronicles 12:38,40)
The asses and the camels carry the bread and
meat, that is they carry the Gospel of Christ that there might be joy in Israel - that there might be joy in the Church of God. Christ commissions us to carry His
gospel. Mules, oxen, and sheep, as well symbolize the same thing. Isaiah 60:6
says:
"The multitude of camels shall cover
thee, the dromedaries [young camels] of Midian and E-phah, all they from
Sheba
shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall sew forth the
praises of the LORD."
All believers, (typified by camels) bring
gold and incense [faith and prayer] into the Church that we may show forth the
praises of the LORD. But, thus far, what is so grievous about this vision that
Isaiah sees? Isaiah has seen God's Israel [ultimately the Church] as
it should be. There is joy in Israel.
The chariot of camels and of asses (from the SOUTH) are passing through the
watchtower in this vision. They have the true gospel. Everything is as it
should be. Nothing is grievous as of yet.
As we move into verse eight the watchman
suddenly cries out: "A LION." The verse reads "And he cried, A
lion." Examining this word "cried" we find that it means "through
the idea of approaching a person met; to call out or to address by name."
It may well be that this watchman suddenly calls out to Messiah, the Christ who
is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Another possibility is that the watchman could be contrasting Satan to a lion,
as he moves in to invade the church at the end of the age. Satan's kingdom is
equated to a great lion in many passages. Either way the watchman is calling
out because of the horror of what is to come, as we move to verse nine.
BABYLON IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN:
VERSE NINE
"And, behold, here cometh a chariot of
men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen;
and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the
ground." (Isaiah 21:9)
Now God gives us the crisis or the turning
point to this vision. Joy is no longer found in the watchtower. Verse nine says
"... behold, here cometh a chariot of a man." This verse is clearly
mistranslated in the King James. While the King James bibles says "behold,
here cometh a chariot of men," this word 21*"men" comes
from the Hebrew word translated in the singular form as a man.
The definition also lists other singular
forms of this word. There is no doubt that it is a mistranslation. This is the
same word meaning singular as we read of in Isaiah chapter fourteen where Satan
himself is pictured as a "singular" man. God says of Satan:
"...is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms," Isaiah 14:16. It is this same symbolic man (Satan pictured as a
man riding two war horses into the watchtower) that causes Isaiah to say
"My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath
he turned into fear for me," verse four. Even if verse nine is accurate in
stating a chariot of men rather than a chariot of a man, it would not change the
outcome of this vision. Unsaved man is ruling in the watchtower. Unsaved man is
ruled by Satan. Satan has taken his seat in the churches.
"When ye therefore shall see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them
which be in Judea flee into the
mountains." (Matthew 24:15-16)
Immediately upon seeing the man in the
chariot driving two war horses, we realize that again the number two is
prevalent. Meaning that Satan is masquerading as truth in the church itself. He
appears as Christ, a lamb with two horns (again the number two symbolizing the
church), but speaks as a dragon, Revelation chapter thirteen. Near the end of
this vision (verse nine) the watchman declares Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
After all of this, we wonder if we could have been wrong after all? We've seen
the characteristics of this vision being made up of church symbols and
salvation language: the sighing; the meal and the drink; the watchtower;
the table; the princes; the shield; the two asses and the two camels. And we
say, well Babylon
has always been a picture of the unsaved world in scripture. And that is
exactly right. So what do we do? Throw all of these church symbols away and say
this is again teaching the destruction of the world? Absolutely not. These
things harmonize perfectly with the rest of scripture. Yes, Babylon is a picture of the unsaved world in
scripture. The world as a whole fell back at the beginning of time. This is why
the earth is cursed, of course.
We have to understand that Satan enters into
the corporate church at the end of time, causing - as never before - the church
to spiritually FALL into spiritual decay. True believers will not be
subject to this deception, of course. But once the abomination of desolation
occurs, and once Satan's kingdom takes its foothold in the church of God,
it is the very same thing as saying the unsaved world of Babylon has taken over in the congregations
of the world. If the unsaved world of Babylon
rules in the churches at the end of time, causing the church to become
extremely worldly, what else would we call the church, other than Babylon? She is the same
thing as the unsaved world. She is the mother of all harlots because she once
had the true gospel. She is a worse harlot than all harlots because she once
had the truth.
Is there any wonder that when God pronounces
judgment upon the unsaved corporate church, that He pronounces
"fallen" twice in each instance? In Isaiah chapter twenty-one He
says: Babylon
is fallen, is fallen. We see the number two. In Revelation chapter fourteen we
read in verse eight: "Babylon
is fallen, if fallen." The number two is prevalent. In Revelation 18:2 we
read: "Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen." Again, the number two! Could this be
coincidental? No, nothing is coincidental with God and His Word. Could God be
telling us who Babylon is simply by using the number two in association with
the word "fallen" .............Babylon is fallen, is fallen.
We see this same idea when we read of God's
holiness. God is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Thus the number three is
prevalent. Isaiah 6:3 declares of God: "...holy, holy, holy, is the LORD
of hosts." The number three is prevalent, signifying the trinity of the
Godhead. Again in Revelation 4:8 we read: "...holy, holy, holy, Lord God
almighty,which was, and is, and is to come." Again the number three is
used to reiterate God's holiness: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
GOD'S THRESHING FLOOR:
VERSE TEN
As we conclude this vision, we see
overwhelming evidence to support the fact that the vision of the fall of Babylon is indeed a vision
of the fall of the corporate church at the end of time. After Babylon is declared fallen in verse nine, we
immediately read in verse ten:
"O my threshing and the corn of my
floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I
declared unto you." (Isaiah 21:10)
Isaiah is sorrowing over God's
"threshing floor." It is fallen! This is again more substantial
testimony showing that the apostate church at the end of time merges with the
unsaved world of Babylon,
and becomes Mystery Babylon the Great. She has opened her doors and has
accepted the ways of the world into her once sanctified refuge. She can now
only be called what the world is called - Babylon.
The church of God
is pictured as a threshing floor where threshing is done in order to separate
the wheat from the chaff. John the Baptist spoke of Christ who would come and
baptize with the Holy Ghost. He spoke of Him by saying:
"Whose fan is in his hand, and he will
thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12)
The Word of God (through His church) fans
the threshing floor, separating the wheat (which are believers) from the chaff
(the non-believers).
Finally, we mentioned Genesis 49:11 earlier,
saying to examine the word "colt," where it speaks of Christ binding
His foal unto the vine, and his ass's "colt" unto the choice vine. We
saw that in this particular verse only, the word "colt" signified
"a son building his family." This word in Hebrew is pronounced
"bane" and is found again in Isaiah's grievous vision, this time in
verse ten as "corn." "O my threshing, and the "corn"
[bane] of my floor." Corn is normally grain or seed. However, in this
vision, amazingly the corn is not defined as normal corn, but it is defined as
a male or female offspring. In this case it is defined in Strong's Hebrew as
follows: "The emphasis is on "binding" a man to his
offspring."
As Christ bound the ass's coat to the choice
vine, so too we have the same things in view in verse ten. Christ is that
spiritual seed, that spiritual corn, as He binds Himself to His spiritual
offspring eternally, by taking on the flesh nature of sinful man and spending
our eternities in hell for us. Christ is that seed, that corn that binds us to
Him as He fans His threshing floor. Christ fulfills the passage of John 12:24:
"...Except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground
and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
FOOTNOTES:
8* "Baw-gad'" #898
Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; to cover (with a garment); fig. to act covertly;
by impl. to pillage:-deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend,
transgress, (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful (-ly, man)
9* "Shaw-dad'" #7703
Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; prop. to be burly, i.e. (fig) powerful (pass
impregnable); by impl. to ravage: - dead, destroy (-er), oppress, robber, spoil
(-er), utterly (lay) waste.
10* The Interlinear Bible of
Hebrew, Greek, and English; Hendrickson, page 551
11* "Aw-vath'" #5791
Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; to wrest:- bow self, (make) crooked, falsifying,
overthrow, deal perversely, pervert, subvert, turn upside down.
12* "Aw-rak'" #6186
Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; to set in a row, i.e. arrange, put in order (in
a variety of applications):-put (set) (the battle, self) in array, compare,
direct, equal, esteem, estimate, expert [in war], furnish, handle, join
[battle], ordain, (lay, put, reckon up, set) (in) order, prepare, tax, value.
Young's Hebrew: To arrange, set in array. Hendrickson Interlinear: Arrange
13* "Shool-khawn'" #7979
Strong's Hebrew. From #7971; a table (as spread out); by impl. a meal:-table.
14* "Maw-shakh'" # 4886
Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; to rub with oil, i.e. to anoint; by impl. to
consecrate; also to paint.
15* "Tsaw-faw'" #6822
Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; prop. to lean forward, i.e. to peer into the
distance; by impl. to observe, await:-behold, espy, look up (well), wait for,
(keep the) watch (-man).
Young's Hebrew: to look out; to watch
16*
"Paw-rawsh'" #6571 Strong's Hebrew. From #6567; a steed (as stretched
out to a vehicle, not single nor for mounting [comp. 5483]; also (by impl.) a
driver (in a chariot), i.e. (collect.) cavalry:-horseman.
17*
"Mish-meh'-reth" #4931 Strong's Hebrew. Fem. of #4929; watch, i.e.
the act (custody) or (concr.) the sentry, the post; obj. preservation, or
(concr.) safe; fig. observance, i.e. (abstr.) duty, or (obj.) a usage or
party:-charge, keep, to be kept, office, ordinance, safeguard, ward, watch.
18*
"Tseh'-med" #6776 Strong's Hebrew. A yoke or team (i.e.pair); hence
an acre (i.e. day's task for a yoke of cattle to plough):-acre, couple,
together, two [asses], yoke (of oxen)
Young's Hebrew: A pair; yoke.
19*
"Bane" #1121 Strong's Hebrew. From #1129; a son (as a builder of the
family name), in the widest sense (of lit. and fig. relationship).
20*
"Baw-naw'" #1129 Strong's Hebrew. A prim. root; to build (lit. and
fig.):- (begin to) build (-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up).
21*
"Eesh" #376 Strong's Hebrew. Contr. for #582 [or perh. rather from an
unused root mean. to be extant]; a man as an individual or a male person. The
Interlinear Bible; Hendrickson, "chariot of a man."
CHAPTER FOUR
The Woman In
The Wilderness
Revelation chapter twelve speaks of a woman
clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of
twelve stars. The opening of this chapter declares that she is in pain and
travailing in birth, ready to deliver a man child. This man child is to rule all
nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5). Before this woman can give birth to the
child, we see that Satan is watching closely at this birth; for he is compelled
to devour this child as soon as he is born (verse 4).
Without question the identity of this woman
is national Israel
(God's Old Testament earthly representation). As she gives birth to the man
child she transcends into God's New Testament earthly representation. She is
the Church, the bride of Christ. She gives birth to a man child who is God
incarnate, the LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.
Not surprisingly, we see that Satan is
standing by ready to kill God's Messiah, the Anointed Prince of Peace. And so
his age-old plan of rebellion continues into the New Testament era. As Christ
ascended into heaven fifty days after His crucifixion, we see that this woman
flees into the wilderness where she has a place in this world prepared
for her by God (Rev. 12:6). This bride of Christ is adorned with the sun, and
the moon under her feet. She is clothed with the saving light of Christ the
Savior who is given the title of "The Sun of Righteous," Malachi 4:2.
The Church is to radiate the light of Christ, who is our sun and shield, Psalm
84:11. The moon is under her feet. With the good news of salvation, the Church
has power and authority to rule over darkness. The bride of Christ is
symbolically crowned with twelve stars, representing the twelve tribes of
ancient Israel
and perhaps the twelve apostles of the New Testament Church. Verse fourteen
also proclaims that this woman is taken into the wilderness.
"And to the woman were given two wings
of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her
place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the
face of the serpent [Satan]." (Revelation 12:14)
She is given two wings of a great eagle,
that she may fly into the wilderness where she is to be nourished for the
duration of the Church-Age from the serpent. The "two wings of a great
eagle" is again portraying the safety of our Heavenly Father as he
protects all true believers while we sojourn on this earth.
The wilderness is where God the
Father places His Church. She is not to be hid from the world in some far away
desert. The wilderness is symbolic of the world itself, and it is there where
God will safeguard His Church. It is there where God will nourish the whole
body of believers. God pictured this grand event back in the days of the exodus
when Israel
was tested forty years in the literal wilderness of Sinai. Those years were a
portrait of the Church-Age wherein believers pass through this life en-route to
our eternal promise land, represented by the physical "promise land"
of Canaan.
When we come to the end of the Church-Age
and enter into the days of great tribulation, we wonder if this woman in the
wilderness is still spiritually clothed with the sun, having the moon under her
feet. Where is this God-glorifying woman - God's own earthly representation -
after centuries of being nourished in the wilderness? The true bride of Christ
will always remain true and faithful only because Christ has spiritually
nourished her. None of Christ's elect will ever be lost. However, we must
understand that the visible earthly church
of Christ is only an outward
representation of the kingdom
of God. It is merely an
outward shell in which anyone can enter into and claim to belong to Christ.
Even during the early days of the Church there were sure to have been many
unsaved people within the church declaring to be a true disciple of Christ. Scripture
teaches that this outward shell of the church will become totally apostate at
the end of time, shortly before Christ comes to judge this earth. That does not
mean that the true believers will become apostate. That is impossible, they
will simply flee from this defiled and unclean church. The outer structure will
still be standing as it was in the early Church-Age; the only difference is
that it will no longer be preaching the straight and narrow way of salvation.
The outward structure will have become the great spiritual harlot of scripture
during this time.
Scripture allows us to see in great detail
the end-time condition of this visible and outward shell of the church. The Church of Christ began as a woman clothed with the
sun and placed in the wilderness (Rev. 12). Her end is as a harlot in the
wilderness (Rev. 17 & 18). After her sojourn on this earth, this symbolic
wilderness, she rapidly falls into spiritual adultery and is judged just prior
to or during the great tribulation as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of
Harlots."
CHAPTER FIVE
The Woman upon
the Scarlet Colored Beast
When we go to Revelation chapter thirteen we
wonder why God reveals Satan to us in the form of two distinct beasts, and yet
they are both symbolic of the kingdom
of Satan? The first beast
is pictured as rising up out of the sea (Rev. 13:1). The sea in
scripture pictures unsaved humanity or even hell itself. "But the wicked
are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up
mire and dirt," (Isaiah 57:20). God parted the Red Sea and saved the
children of Israel
from Pharaoh's army by providing a means in which to cross the sea and enter
into their literal promise land. This miraculous event pictured God's true Israel being
saved from eternal hell (The Red Sea) as Christ paid the price of our sins. He
did so by enduring hell on our behalf. Christ confirmed a place for every true
believer in His eternal kingdom, which is our spiritual "promise
land." The beast that we see rising up out of the sea in Revelation 13:1
can only be depicting Satan at the time of the great tribulation as he is
released from his spiritual prison (Rev. 20:7), which is hell or the bottomless
pit (portrayed by the sea). This portrait of the beast may very well be the
secular or worldly side of Satan who holds un-religious or pagan man captive.
When we go to verse eleven of Revelation
chapter thirteen we discover another beast coming up out of the earth.
This is again a picture of Satan at the end of time. This may well be the
religious side of Satan, that is Satan in his holy attire as he comes as the
anti-Christ (instead of Christ) to imitate Christ the Savior. It is interesting
to note that this word "earth" ("and I beheld another beast
coming up out of the earth") is used interchangeably in the New
Testament as "earth" or "land." In the parable of the net
in John chapter twenty-one, Simon Peter drew the net to land and it was
full of fishes, one hundred and fifty-three to be exact. The "land"
(same word as earth) portrayed as the kingdom of God,
received all of God's elect, represented by the fish. In another account given
in Acts 7:3 Peter recounts the days in which God tells Abraham to "... get
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land
which I shall show thee." The "land" clearly being a
picture of the kingdom
of God. It is also the
same Greek word used as "earth" in which this second beast arises
from in Revelation chapter thirteen. Again, in the parable of the sower, the
seed that fell upon the good ground is he that hears the Word and understands
it, and bears fruit unto salvation. The good "ground" that
this seed falls upon is also translated from the same Greek word as is "earth,"
from which this second beast arises from. This same word is again translated as
"land of Israel" or "land of Judah"
many times in the gospels, all typifying the congregations of the earth, which
in turn are God's own representation of His kingdom while sojourning on this
earth.
It may well be that the "earth"
that this second beast arises from is indeed a term signifying the
"land" of salvation or the "land" of Israel, in which the
good "ground; i.e. earth or land" is found. It may be that this word
"earth" from which this second beast arises from is
representing the corporate church
of Christ worldwide. The
only place in scripture where this word "earth" is translated as
"world" is in Revelation 13:3:
"And I saw one of his heads as it were
wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the "world"
[earth; land] wondered after the beast."
This would indeed explain all of the world
following this religious counterfeit beast. This would not necessitate the
entire world, but only the entire religious world; those within the
congregations of the world; or those within the congregations of the land;
or those within the congregations of the good ground. Those who have not
fled this religious harlot, but are there for various reasons other than the worship
of the true God of scripture.
After this beast arises from the earth in
Revelation 13:11, we are immediately told that "... he had two horns like
a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." Satan is referred to in scripture as a
man (Isaiah 14:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:3), therefore we should not be confused
that Revelation 13:11 labels this beast a "he," even though he is
symbolizing the false bride of Christ, the false and counterfeit church,
who is the woman turned harlot in the wilderness. Satan, (he) is giving power
to (her) the false bride of Christ to deceive religious man at the time of the
end. As this beast arises from within the religious world, we see unwavering
evidence that he is propagating a counterfeit church; a counterfeit gospel. We
know this by the fact that he has "two horns like a lamb and
spake as a dragon." Christ is the Lamb of God, and His true Church
followeth the Lamb wheresoever He goes, Revelation 14:4. But this beast from
the earth is only mimicking the true Church, as his appearance is like unto the
Lamb of God, having two horns, representing the number of the Church (two
witnesses, Rev. 11; two olive trees Zech. 4:3, Rev. 11:4; two candlesticks,
Rev. 11:4; two anointed ones, Zech. 4:14. Christ sent His disciples out two by
two, Luke 10:1. God sent animals into the ark two by two, Gen. 6:19-20).
However, the reality in the unseen spiritual realm is that this second beast
speaks from Satan himself, the great red dragon (Rev. 12:3) as we read in the
last part of Rev. 13:11 ("... and he spake as a dragon").
Another bit of evidence to support the
belief that Babylon the Great is in fact the
latter day (tribulation era) corporate church of Christ,
and not merely a symbol for all of the non-religious or secular world, is the
fact that she is sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast. The color
scarlet may indicate the fact that she is not merely a pagan religious symbol,
but that she most likely represents Christ Himself! This beast is of course the
kingdom of Satan, but could this beast be the beast
of Revelation 13:11, the religious beast? It very well may be. Is the once
faithful church
of Christ now sitting
upon this scarlet coloured beast? No wonder she has become a harlot!
It was no coincidence that the Roman
soldiers stripped Christ, and dressed Him in a scarlet coloured robe
(Matthew 27:28). What these soldiers did would have been their last desire, had
they known the spiritual significance of the scarlet robe. God Himself bore
witness that this crucified Christ was the Temple of God.
Recall the words of Jesus when He told the Jews "Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up," John 2:19. Verse twenty-one
continues: "But he spake of the temple of his body." Christ,
God incarnate, is the chief corner stone (Ephesians 2:20), and the head of His
Church (Matthew 21:42), the spiritual Temple of God,
which every true believer is a part of (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
Christ takes on this scarlet color in
signifying the true and final Temple
of God, which in past times had been
prefigured, shadowed, and typified by first the tabernacle in the wilderness,
and then by the literal and physical Temple
of God, built in Jerusalem. The color scarlet played a large
role in the furnishings of both the tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem.
Over and over again we read in the book of Exodus of the scarlet
material used in the construction of the tabernacle. Again, both of these
temples were pictures of God's New Testament Church, His spiritual Temple made up of true
believers, and led by the Lamb of God, Christ Himself.
The materials, woods, ointments, stones,
etc. which were used in assembling the tabernacle in the wilderness were all
descriptions of how God's spiritual Temple
would be furnished with precious arrays of the Gospel of Christ. These
tabernacle materials were all given as offerings to God. God only accepted the
materials given willingly from the heart (Exodus 25:2). The following is a list
of items God singles out as a pertinent part of His Temple. These all have much
spiritual significance throughout all of scripture, since God uses them in
ultimately portraying the New Testament Temple.
(Exodus 25:1-8):
V1 ... "And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
V2 ... speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering; of
every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
V3 ... And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver,
and brass,
V4 ... and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats'
hair
V5 ... And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
V6 ... Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
V7 ... Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
V8 ... And let them make me a SANCTUARY, [Temple]; that I may dwell among them."
Throughout this report we shall see how many
of these elements or "vessels" which rightly belong to
Christ's true Church are no longer found in the corporate church, i.e. the
religious harlot in the wilderness - the counterfeit church of Christ
worldwide.
As leprosy in Old Testament days pictured
man's sins, we can spiritually understand why the priests would use scarlet
among many other offerings in sprinkling the leper who is to be cleansed. It
can only allude to the blood of Christ which is the only cure for spiritual
disease. Read Leviticus chapter fourteen.
In Proverbs chapter thirty-one we see a
beautiful metaphorical picture of Christ's very own bride. The Church is
righteous not on her own accord, but she is righteous and pure only because
Christ has purchased and clothed her with His own righteousness. Proverbs 31:21
tells us that she is clothed with scarlet. Song of Solomon has the bride
of Christ in view as well. Chapter four and verse three tells us: "Thy
lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples
are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks." The prophet Daniel
may have been a "type" of Christ in the Old Testament, in that he
represented Christ in the Babylonian Empire and a great many parallels to
Christ can be drawn from this account. As a result of Daniel's interpretation
of King Belshazzar's dream, scripture details the following in Daniel 5:29:
"... and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and put a chain of gold
about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him..." These are only
a few of the many passages of scripture that deal with scarlet in pointing to
the sacrificial blood of Christ.
In the end of this woman's journeying in the
wilderness, she - like Israel
of old - has fallen into spiritual adultery. As in ancient Israel, some
were truly saved by trusting God that He would someday send the promised
Messiah. Today, for the most part, those who are the true elect of God have
fled this spiritual harlot who follows after religious Satan, the SCARLET
COLOURED BEAST, full of names of blasphemy, Rev. 17:3. Revelation 18:4
commands the true believer to flee from this spiritual harlot: "...Come
out of her, MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye
receive not of her plagues." We find other parallel passages very similar
to this in the Old Testament declaring the same thing. This is not a call to
come out of the world (as many have taught), but this is clearly a command for
believers (My people) to forsake this apostate church and flee her persuasion.
Christ Himself commanded the true believer to "flee to the
mountains," (Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14; Matthew 24:16) when we see this
abomination of desolation standing in the holy place.
CHAPTER SIX
The Woman's
Apparel
"And the woman was arrayed
in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold
and precious stones and pearls..." (Revelation
17:4)
In chapter five we saw that
Satan was arrayed in the spiritual garments of the one true Church. Here again
we see that the counterfeit church herself must also be clothed with the spiritual
raiment of the one true Church. If one is to mimic another, it is logical that
they would masquerade in appearance and in mannerism of the one they are
imitating. By being arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold,
precious stones, and pearls, this harlot is saying "I am the Church of
Jesus Christ."
Proverbs Chapter Thirty-one
describes the true "virtuous woman" (verse 10), of which can be no
other recipient on earth other than the Church of Jesus Christ
worldwide. In verse twenty-two we read of her: "She maketh herself
coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."
Scarlet and purple can be shown to represent the same color in scripture. The
Roman soldiers forced a purple robe upon Christ (John 19:2) while
Matthew 27:28 says it was scarlet, which are the same colors.
In Acts 16:14 we learn of a
woman by the name of Lydia
who became converted to Christ. She is said to have been a "seller of purple."
She no doubt dwelt in dyes and dyed goods. This historic parable takes only two
verses (verses 14 & 15), however there is much spiritual insight hidden in
these two verses. The fact that Lydia
was a "seller" of purple tells us that she was a "merchant"
of the gospel. Purple being a prominent spiritual representative and characteristic
of the true gospel. Song of Solomon is a beautiful allegorical account of
Christ and His bride, the Church. The symbolical descriptions are too numerous
to mention. Purple is a prominent color used in this account also.
The religious harlot is also
said to be decked with gold and precious stones and pearls. When King Solomon
began to build the House of the LORD in Jerusalem
upon Mount Moriah, it is no surprise that he
garnished this temple with many precious stones. "And he garnished the
house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of
paruaim," II Chronicles 3:6. The queen of Sheba heard of the fame and wisdom
of King Solomon and traveled far to bring him much riches, including precious
stones (1 Kings 10:10), of which much was used for the House of the LORD.
We also see that pearls is yet
another segment of riches used in describing the gospel.
“Give not that which is holy
unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they
trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you,” (Matthew 7:6).
SEEKING GOODLY
PEARLS
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls,” “Who, when he
had found ONE pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it,” (Matthew 13:45,46).
The counterfeit church/harlot
has arrayed herself with the righteous attire reserved solely for God’s
Anointed Christ and His bride. She has decked herself with gold, precious
stones and pearls. Of course these are but only a portion of her metaphoric lush
and sumptuous adornment, worn that she might beguile all who come to inquire on
the name of Christ.
The kingdom of heaven is not
many pearls, it is only one pearl - one pearl of great price as
we read in Matthew 13: 45-46. When we look further at the Greek word “heis” or
“hice” (1520 in Strong’s) meaning “one” we see that it does not mean “one of
many” but a “specific” one. A good example is found in Matthew 8:19 where this
same Greek word for “one” is translated as “certain.”
“And a certain [one;
heis; 1520] scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee
whithersoever thou goest,” (Matthew 8:19). God is speaking here of a specific
scribe, and is not speaking in general of one of many scribes. Another example
might be found in Matthew 6:24 where we read:
“No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one [one; heis; 1520] , and love the other; or else
he will hold to the one [one; heis; 1520] , and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.”
Still another good example is
found in Matthew 20:21, and reads:
“And he said unto her, What wilt
thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one [one;
heis; 1520] on thy right hand, and the other [one; heis; 1520] on the left, in
thy kingdom.”
These are particulars spoken of
here. One and other both refer to specific persons. There is only
one goodly pearl and it is indeed of great price. Christ’s
kingdom, which is in heaven, is that one and only pearl of great price. The
price was indeed great, but not for man. The price of this pearl was paid by
God sending His only begotten son into this world to endure and pay for the
sins of all of His elect whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
from before the foundations of the world. This is the pearl that God commands
all (as spiritual merchants) to seek after. This is the Gospel plan for eternal
salvation through the great price of God incarnate coming into this world to
suffer rejection, to be crucified, to endure eternal hell on behalf of all His
elect, and to resurrect from the dead on the third day - to ensure that the
gates of hell can never prevent His salvation plan from going forth. This is
God’s price which no man can discern. This pearl contains riches that
escape most of the world.
“Esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the
recompence of the reward,” (Hebrews 11:26).
“Surely he hath borne our
griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted. [5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and
with his stripes we are healed,” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
The global harlot of the last
days and Great Tribulation period wears Christ’s pearl with pride and cunning
duplicity. She consists of the congregations and organized churches throughout
every country upon the face of this earth. The masses flee to her for numerous
reasons. She displays her pearl to all who unwittingly approach or enter in
through her wide pathway. Multitudes find nothing amiss with the pearl she
displays, for they are unlearned in the Scriptures. Neither can they hear or
touch this greatly pearl apart from Scripture, as in the days of old. They see
and accept a pearl that is worthless in all manner; a pearl that is tarnished
and cracked, having no value or concept of keeping Christ’s commandments and
laws and ultimately no salvation to offer. She extends her hand which once held
Christ’s golden cup, but now is filled with the abominations and filthiness of
her fornications. The masses eagerly come in droves to purchase and accept this
pearl and to worship it’s image - whatever that might be.
“And the twelve gates were
twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of
the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass,” (Revelation 21:21).
In addition to this spiritual
harlot being arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, Revelation 17:4 tells us
that she is also decked with gold, precious stones and pearls. Revelation
chapter eighteen gives us similar language in describing her spiritual attire.
“And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple,
and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones,
and pearls,” (Rev. 18:16).
These are but spiritual
attributes or metaphors of Christ’s Gospel call to His bride, the true Church.
We shall examine these and other adornments assigned to Christ in a latter
chapter.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Woman:
Having a Golden Cup in 'Her' Hand
"And the woman was arrayed in purple
and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having
a golden cup in "her" hand, full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication." (Revelation 17:4)
The term "golden cup" is used only
twice in scripture. Here in Revelation 17:4 and again in Jeremiah 51:7. It is
very interesting that both renderings of this term are in reference to Babylon. In Jeremiah 51:7
we read "Babylon
hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand." The theme of Jeremiah
chapter fifty-one is God's judgment upon Babylon.
Even though God brought this judgment to pass in ancient history, this chapter
nonetheless prophesies of God's final judgment upon the end-time spiritual Babylon. God discloses
much insight in this chapter with the use of shadows and types in portraying
the final judgment upon Mystery Babylon. It must be emphasized again that God
used ancient Babylon as a representative of all
of the unsaved world, just as He used Egypt
and Assyria to also represent the unsaved
world. However, when we come to the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of the
Book of Revelation we find that both of these chapters cannot be speaking of
the world in general, but are speaking of the apostate condition of the church of Christ worldwide. This is precisely why
this proposal is so misunderstood. We naturally want to separate the apostate
corporate church from the unsaved world. But scripture clearly teaches this is
what befalls the corporate church
of Christ just prior to
the great tribulation. It is termed as "a falling away" in 2
Thessalonians chapter two. To fall away from the truth of God is when the
corporate church (minus true believers) becomes as the world. They think and
act no differently than the world with regard to the pure doctrines of God. In
other words, they become as the unsaved world; they become as Babylon (which typified the unsaved world).
They have opened their doors to the world and have themselves become one with
the world. It is little wonder the apostle John, while inspired by the Holy
Spirit, wrote "...and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration," Revelation 17:6. The Greek defines this as "I wondered;
I was amazed, bewitched with great admiration or with great perception."
Many Greek interlinears read similar to this: "and I wondered, having seen
her, with great wonder." To be extremely mystified, bewildered, and to
gaze in wonder.
Jeremiah 51:5-6 substantiates the idea that
the church (typified by Old Testament Israel
and Judah) in its end will
be labeled by God as Babylon.
"For Israel
hath not been forsaken, nor Judah
of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against
the holy one of Israel."
(Jeremiah 51:5)
During the great tribulation this verse will
still carry its relevance. Israel
and Judah (the True Church)
will not be forsaken, even though their land (the corporate church; the outer
shell) will be filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.
"Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and
deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time
of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence." (Jeremiah
51:6)
Verse six begins by saying: "flee out
of the midst of the LAND
of Israel and Judah????"
No, this is not what is being said, although this is the correct understanding.
The precise reading is as we just read: "Flee out of the midst of BABYLON."
God is typifying Israel as Babylon! God is clearly
giving the commandment to flee or escape from among the sins of Israel and
Judah (the corporate church at its height of apostasy); c.f. Matthew 24:15-16
"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand); Then let them which be in Judea FLEE into the
mountains." Jeremiah 51:6 goes on to say this is the time of the LORD'S
"vengeance." As God brought judgment upon ancient Babylon,
He did so as a spiritual "type” or illustration of His global judgment
upon - not merely the world - but upon the unbelieving church; Babylon the Great. This appears to be the
case, since the description of Babylon's
"destruction" in Revelation chapter eighteen does not (contrary to
popular belief) describe any physical destruction of any kind, but rather
depicts the absence of the precious attributes of the true Gospel of Christ. It
unveils and displays the scarcity of God's true spiritual merchandise, which is
no longer to be found in this woman - now harlot.
Returning to Jeremiah 51:5-7 we see that the
land of Israel and Judah (verse 5)
was once a GOLDEN CUP IN THE LORD'S HAND, (Jer. 51:7). "Babylon hath been a
golden cup in the LORD'S hand..." The Hebrew defines the term "golden
cup" as to "hold together; a valuable or 22*precious
commodity." This golden cup is the cup of salvation! "I will take the
CUP of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord," Psalm
116:13. Again in Psalm 16:5 we read: "The Lord is the portion of mine
inheritance and of my CUP: thou maintainest my lot." Psalm 23:5 we
recall "...thou anointest my head with oil; my CUP runneth
over." Babylon
has been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand (Jeremiah 51:7). The corporate church,
as a whole, has faithfully declared the Word of God throughout the Church-Age
until the falling away and the abomination of desolation (Satan himself) being
placed in the congregations worldwide. What is the condition of this golden cup
within the end-time apostate church of the harlot? We read that it has become
her self-righteousness! Revelation 17:4 declares that this harlot was seen
"having a golden cup in her hand." Jeremiah 51:7 tells
us that this harlot, this Babylon,
was once a golden cup "IN THE LORD'S HAND."
Once the corporate church fell wholly into
apostasy, the salvation that she once declared (the golden cup in the LORD'S
hand) has become the golden cup in "HER" hand (Revelation
17:4). She is no longer proclaiming the truth of the Word of God. The salvation
that she is declaring is a works gospel; thus the golden cup is no longer in
the LORD'S hand, but it is in her own hand. No wonder God says of this cup, it
is : "... full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication,
(Revelation 17:4). The corporate church no longer cares for the true Gospel,
but desires a gospel that they can design - a works gospel. Thus Isaiah 4:1 has
come to fruition:
"And in that day seven women shall take
hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel:
only let us be called by thy name."
"Seven women," the spiritual
completion of the false church will not eat of Christ, who is the "bread
of life" (John 6:48), rather they will eat their own bread, Isaiah
4:1 says. Neither will they wear the righteous apparel of the true believer;
they too will wear their own apparel. They will have their versions of
the gospel. But will this false church acknowledge their need for the true
Gospel? Will they view themselves as unsaved? Of course not. As we see in today's
world, the multitude of false congregations eat their own bread and wear their
own apparel, but at the same time declare firmly that they are the true Church.
They insist that they are indeed true believers ...... "ONLY LET
US BE CALLED BY THY NAME, TO TAKE AWAY OUR REPROACH."
It appears that today's corporate church -
Mystery Babylon - is attempting to build a spiritual "tower," whose
top will reach into heaven, as in ancient times - without the worship and
acknowledgment of the Creator.
FOOTNOTES:
22*
Vines Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Woman:
Drunken with the Blood of the Saints
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood
of the saints, and with the blood of the
martyrs of Jesus..." (Revelation 17:6)
The very last verse of Revelation chapter
eighteen makes the same type of statement:
"And in her [i.e. Babylon; the whore] was found the blood of
prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
Can we lay this charge to the world in general,
or specifically to the corporate church itself? What of the Old Testament
prophets, were they slain by the world or by the religious community of their
day? That is to say were they slain by God's Old Testament congregations?
Recall the words spoken by Christ when He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee..." (Matthew 23:37)
Christ rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees
(heads of the Old Testament church) in this same chapter and admonishes them as
hypocrites, pronouncing six woes upon them. It is important that we understand
the fact that the majority of Old Testament national Israel were unsaved, with the
exception of God's true remnant among them. Likewise, in the New Testament era
scripture tells us "many are called, but few are chosen." There are
many within the corporate church that are the enemies of God. It is they who
are responsible for much of the killing of the prophets and of the saints. If we
declare that the world is responsible for the shedding of the blood of the
prophets and of the saints, we then must conclude that the Babylon of Revelation chapters seventeen and
eighteen is depicting the world in general. We would be forced to conclude this
simply because chapter eighteen and verse twenty-four tells us that "in
her [that is in Babylon]
was found the blood of the prophets, and of the saints, and of all that were
slain upon the earth." However, as we examine scripture we find just the
opposite to be the case. We find that it is in fact the corporate church dating
all the way back to Old Testament Israel and even back as far as Cain
who were responsible for the killing of the saints and prophets. This is not to
say that the secular world is innocent of any and all torturing and killing of
prophets and saints. Of course they were not, however scripture assures us that
the false church is the arch enemy of God. In addition, it should be noted that
if Mystery Babylon was representative of the outside world only, having no
relationship with the corporate church, would it not be quite peculiar to say
that "in her," (i.e. the world ?), was found "...all that were
slain upon the earth?" If Babylon were the
world, then naturally all that were slain upon the earth would be found in Babylon (the world).
Where else would you find them? It would be doubtful that scripture is teaching
that. Rather, it is saying "in her," being Mystery Babylon (the
apostate church
of Christ, Old & New
Testaments), was found "...all [prophets, saints, believers, etc.] that
were slain upon the earth." The Greek rendering of this word 23*"all"
must be qualified. It is not defined as "entirety" or
"completion." Rather, it is defined in the Greek as "the
whole; as many as, etc.." This same word is used in Romans
11:26 when God (in speaking of national Israel)
states that ALL Israel
shall be saved. Clearly there is only a remnant to be saved out of the nation
of Israel,
as there will be only a remnant saved out of all nations. Considering the true
spiritual Israel,
of course the "whole" or "all" will be saved and Christ
shall not leave behind one of His elect. God uses this same word over and over
again, wherein it must be qualified. Again, we read in Luke 2:1 "And it
came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus,
that ALL the world should be taxed." Did Augustus tax the
American indians and the Chinese along with the Roman Empire? Of course
this is conditional upon "all" within Augustus' empire or kingdom.
The same rule holds true for "all" of Israel being saved or Babylon
being the source of the blood of prophets, saints, and "all"
that were slain upon the earth. "All" meaning the wholeness of
those whom God allowed to suffer persecution. Babylon is the source of much Christian
persecution upon the earth.
Remaining in Matthew chapter twenty-three,
let us examine a few of these verses.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers
of the righteous,
And say, if we had been in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets." (Matthew 23:29-30)
Again we read in verse thirty-one:
"Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets."
Does this evidence suggest that the world is
guilty? No, it does not. It implicates the religious community - the Old
Testament church of that day.
"Wherefore, behold, I send unto you
prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and
crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute
them from city to city." (Matthew 23:34)
"That upon you may come all the righteous
blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood
of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the
altar." (Matthew 23:35)
Notice carefully the near identical pattern
of language used in the above verses as compared to Revelation 18:24:
"And in her was found: 1. blood
of prophets; 2. and of saints; 3. and of all that were
slain upon the earth."
The context of this verse addresses true
believers only. Prophets, saints, and all (true believers) that were
slain upon the earth. Now notice the similarities:
Matthew 23:30: "blood of prophets"
Revelation 18:24: "blood of the prophets"
Matthew 23:35: "righteous blood shed upon the earth"
Revelation 18:24: "of all that were slain upon the earth"
Nearly identical language is used here, and
yet Matthew speaks of the martyrdom of Old Testament saints, beginning with the
blood of "righteous Abel," while Revelation speaks of Old and New
Testament saints. In Matthew, God clearly identifies the perpetrator as
corporate Israel, the
unbelievers within national Israel.
Likewise, Revelation speaks of the perpetrator as the great whore, the mother
of harlots, (Revelation 17:1,5). This harlot was, according to Revelation 17:6,
"drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs
of Jesus".
Once again, it seems that it is not the
world in general that was responsible for the shedding of the blood of the
saints and of the prophets. Let us look to Revelation chapter 16:4-6:
"And the third angel poured out his
vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood."
"And I heard the angel of the waters
say, thou art righteous, O LORD, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because
thou hast judged thus."
"For they have shed the blood of
saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are
worthy."
We know by studying scripture that
"rivers and fountains of water" are pictures of the congregations of
the world. These represent the pure gospel of salvation that comes forth
from these congregations. But here we see the church being judged (and again
this is the apostate church of the end-times); it is under the judgment of God.
Why is it under God's judgment? Verse six gives us a partial answer. Because
they have "shed the blood of saints and prophets." Yes, by understanding
the last verse of Revelation chapter eighteen, one will come to realize that
this Mystery Babylon is today's substitute for and representative of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. This is an abomination that God allows to make desolate the
effective of His Word within the congregations of the world.
Finally, we see this same truth brought
forth in the parable of the wedding feast. God calls a marriage feast for His
son and sends His servants to call them that are bidden to the wedding.
National Israel
received the first call of God. As this wedding call goes out, those who were
invited would not come (Matt. 22:3). Again God sends out His servants to
"tell them which are bidden" (verse 4), but they made light of it,
and went their own ways (verse 5). The remaining remnant from Israel
"...took his servants, end entreated them spitefully, and slew
them," (verse 6). When God saw this, He was wroth, and sent forth His
armies, and "... destroyed those murderers and burned up their city,"
(verse 7). There you have most of biblical history wrapped up in a few short
verses. Who were these murderers of God's servants? National Israel, the
religious Jew first, and then of course God's earthly representative
transcended into the New Testament corporate church.
According to The Holy Bible, the unsaved
church from the Old Testament and New Testament eras is responsible for the
shedding of the majority of the blood of the saints. Think about it for a
second. Who is doing the killing in Northern Ireland today? The
confessing Christians. And in who's name did the Crusaders ravish and murder?
In the name of Christ they did these ungodly acts. Why? Because they were
carrying out God's wishes? Of course not but they did these things because they
were in the church
of Christ but not of
Christ. True believes throughout the world have been murdered down through the
centuries by those calling themselves servants of God.
FOOTNOTES:
23*
"ALL" = "Pas" #3956 Strong’s Greek. Include. All the forms
of declension; appar. A prim. Word; all, any, every, the whole; -all (manner
of, means), always (-s), any (one), daily, ever, every (one way), as many as,
thoroughly, whatsoever, whosoever
The Interlinear Greek, Hendrickson;
Zondervan Parallel Greek reads "of all [the ones] that were slain upon the
earth.
CHAPTER NINE
The Woman
Reigneth Over the Kings of the Earth
In this short chapter we shall
see more evidence leading us to believe that Mystery Babylon is not the unsaved
world in general, but is Satan's counterfeit end-time church masquerading as
the true Church
of Jesus Christ. Many
students of the Bible and theologians down through the centuries have pondered
the identity of this great city which reigns over the kings of the
earth. The time for God's revelation of these end-time verses simply had not
arrived for them. Daniel chapter twelve clearly indicates that many scriptures
concerning the timing of the end would not be revealed until the very end of
time itself. Probably speaking of the great tribulation period.
"And the woman which thou
sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the
earth." (Revelation 17:18)
Once again we will say that the
city of Rome
has taken front row in the lists of possible candidates. Yes Rome, the seat of the Pope who rules the
nations of Catholicism. Others have speculated that this great city will be a
European city, perhaps Brussels,
that is destined to rule a ten nation European Common Market and eventually
rule over all the kings of the entire earth. Still others say that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt in Iraq and rise to world prominence.
Perhaps the United States,
symbolized as a "city," will soon reign over all nations of the
world? Who really is this great city that reigns over the kings of the earth? I
believe scripture truly discloses her identity if we begin to search the Bible
verses.
When we look to the original
Greek, we find that the word "reigneth" (Rev. 17:18) is
defined as denoting "sovereignty, royal power, dominion." It
is pronounced "bas-il-i'-ah" which literally means "hath a
kingdom."
The "Zondervan Parallel New
Testament In Greek and English" quotes this verse as follows:
"And the woman whom thou
sawest is the city - great - having a kingdom over the kings of the
earth."
The "Interlinear
Greek-English New Testament" quotes this verse this way:
"And the woman whom thou
sawest is the city great, which has KINGSHIP over the kings of the
earth."
To have kingship or to hold a
kingdom over the kings of the earth carries identical meanings. This Greek word
"bas-it-i'-ah" is translated "reigneth" only once
in scripture, while all other renderings of over two hundred verses translate
it as "kingdom," most of which deal with either the kingdom of
God or the kingdom of heaven. Very interesting. When we read in
Revelation chapter twelve of the birth of Christ, the man child, we are told in
verse five that He will RULE all nations with a rod of iron. To rule all
nations would indeed encompass ruling and reigning over the kings of the earth,
would it not? "Rule" means to shepherd, guide, or to govern. This is
the work of Christ, our Great Shepherd of the sheep. He it is who rules or
shepherds over His church, which in turn spiritually reigns over the kings of
the earth.
Can we say with any certainty
and honesty that one literal city at the end of time will reign over the kings
of the earth? Probably not. And so this great city must then be a symbol of
some kind. We have already seen from Revelation 17:18 that the woman in the
wilderness is this great city. The church
of Christ has always
ruled in the affairs of man. The Gospel of Christ does indeed rule and reign
over every individual on the face of the earth, whether they want to believe
that or not makes no difference. God's infallible and holy Word indeed reigns
over the kings of the earth. Abraham through faith looked for a CITY
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
"And they shall call them,
The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD; and thou shalt be called Sought out,
a CITY not forsaken." Isaiah 62:12.
An almost identical Greek word
to "bas-il-i'-ah" (reigneth; as in reigneth over the kings of the
earth) is the word "bas-il-yoo'-o" which is derived from the same
Greek word as is "bas-il-i'-ah," both meaning sovereign. The only
difference is that this latest word is not translated "reigneth," but
is translated "reign." It is basically the very same Greek word that
is used in Revelation 17:18. It is given in only two places in scripture,
Revelation 11:17 and 20:4.
"Saying, We give thee
thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou
hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast REIGNED." (Revelation
11:17)
"And I saw thrones, and
they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of
them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and
which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and REIGNED
with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)
This is nearly the identical
word used in describing the woman, now a harlot, who REIGNETH over the
kings of the earth! Yes indeed, Christ and His kingdom does reign over the kings
of this earth. Even though the visible church has fallen into degradation, its
original principles and holy laws nevertheless continue to reign over the souls
of unsuspecting man.
"...for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem."
(Isaiah 2:3)
The woman that reigneth over the
kings of the earth is not some unknown worldly entity with a mysterious code
name of "Babylon
the Great," but she appears to be the faithful woman in the wilderness who
was once Christ’s own earthly representation. She is now the great harlot - Babylon the Great - because she has opened her doors to
the world and has been overtaken by the world of Babylon. She has become Babylon herself; she and the world are one.
She, who reigned over the kings of the earth is now being judged in the
wilderness. The true Word of God is being taken from her, resulting in
condemnation for the outside world, as well as for the corporate church. Every
soul who has ever lived has been ruled and reigned by Christ Himself,
regardless of whether that person died saved or unsaved. If the phrase
"kings of the earth" in this context were meant to symbolize
believers only, (since Christians are said to be kings and priests - Revelation
1:6;5:10) the outcome would still be the fact that this Mystery Babylon once
ruled over the corporate church through Christ Jesus. However, the term
"kings of the earth" can also be a negative term or have a negative
fulfillment in scripture such as in the following verses:
Acts 4;26 - "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ."
Matthew 17:25 - "He saith,
Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What
thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or
tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?"
Psalm 2:2 - "The kings
of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Psalm 2:3 Let us break their bands
asunder, and cast away their cords from us."
Finally let us consider
Lamentations 4:12 - "The kings of the earth, and all the
inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy
should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem."
The kings of the earth, whether the context is speaking of world rulers,
corporate believers within the church or true believers in Christ, the fact
remains that Christ rules and reigns over them. Up until God removes or
"removed" (past tense) His candlestick from the corporate church, the
light of the Christian corporate Church (Christ Himself) was the ruling entity
in the souls of men throughout the world. As we just read in Lamentations 4:12,
the kings of the earth along with the world would not have believed that the
adversary (Satan; Lucifer), the enemy of the Gospel, would have ENTERED
into the church
of Christ worldwide! But
he has! God's Old Testament Israel
and His New Testament church have always ruled and reigned over the world in a
spiritual sense because God Himself was and still is the omnipotent Ruler and
Creator of all things.
Additional passages:
"Great is the LORD, and
greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of
his holiness."
"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion,
on the sides of the north, the city of the great king."
(Psalm 48:1-2)
Are there any doubts as to the
identity of this great city of Revelation,
which reigns over the kings of the earth? Which reigns over the whole earth
(Ps. 48:2)?
"The LORD hath prepared his
throne in the heavens; and his kingdom RULETH over all." (Psalm
103:19)
"But in the last days it
shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the
hills; and people shall flow unto it."
"And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach
us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of
Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."
"And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off
a strong nation: and the LORD shall REIGN over them in mount Zion from
henceforth, even for ever." (Micah 4:1,2,7)
"For I say unto you, That
unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that
he hath shall be taken away from him."
"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them,
bring hither, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:26-27)
"For he must REIGN,
till he hath put all enemies under his feet." (1 Corinthians 15:25)
"And the seventh angel
sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this
world are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of his Christ; and he shall REIGN
for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)
"And I heard as it were the
voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice
of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the LORD God omnipotent REIGNETH."
(Revelation 19:6)
"Who raised up the
righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before
him, and made him RULE OVER KINGS [cf. Rev. 17:18 "reigns
over the kings of the earth"]; he gave him as the dust to his
sword, and as driven stubble to his bow." (Isaiah 41:2)
CHAPTER TEN
Babylon the
Great is Fallen, is Fallen
"How is the faithful city
become an harlot!" (Isaiah 1:21)
When we look at Revelation
chapter eighteen we are immediately confronted with a great proclamation:
"Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen," verse two. We pick up this
same language in Revelation 14:8 "And there followed another angel,
saying, Babylon
is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all
nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
Apparently this is not a call
for her immediate destruction, but it is a summons for her spiritual
destruction. In Revelation 18:2, immediately after declaring that she is
fallen, we read "and is become the habitation of devils, and
the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful
bird." Babylon
the great is still very much in existence at this time, the only difference is
that she has fallen wholly and corporately into spiritual decay and adultery.
She has become a habitation for "unclean" (a biblical term for
the unsaved) animals. How could this harlot be representative of the world (the
entire kingdom of
Satan) as a whole, and
yet only now has the announcement come that she is fallen? Didn't the
entire world FALL back in the days of the Garden of Eden? One might
argue that the declaration of her fall is in association to the destruction of
the world at the last day. This cannot be, as we have already explained, Babylon the Great is very
much in existence after her fall, although in a state of spiritual decay and
filthiness.
God is declaring that the church
(woman) in the wilderness, now "Mystery Babylon" is now being called
into spiritual judgment. She will no longer be allowed to possess or
maintain any genuine attributes of Christ. She, as the worldwide corporate
church, has fallen into irreversible judgment.
The Greek word 24*"fallen"
("pipto;" verb form) carries several meanings according to
biblical context. It can be used in a literal manner as well as in a spiritual
fall. For example:
"... I beheld Satan as
lighting fall [pipto] from heaven." Luke (10:18)
"... every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth
[pipto]." (Luke 11:17)
"After this I will return,
and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen [pipto]..."
(Acts 15:16)
"Behold therefore the
goodness and severity of God: on them which fell [pipto], severity; but
toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also
shall be cut off." (Romans 11:22)
"But with whom was he
grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell
[pipto] in the wilderness?" (Hebrews 3:17)
"... but let your yea be
yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall [pipto] into condemnation,"
(James 5:12)
"... Babylon the great is fallen [pipto],
is fallen [pipto], and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold
of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."
(Revelation 18:2)
As a result of her spiritual
fall, Babylon
the Great has become a habitation of devils. Revelation chapter eighteen is not
teaching the physical destruction of the world. This Mystery Babylon is not
being physically destroyed at her fall, but she has become (meaning
to transcend into something else) a source of astonishment and amazement to
those who knew her once faithful character. She has transcended into a
spiritual harlot.
When we examine the seventh vial
judgment (Rev. 16:17-21), which parallels the seventh trumpet judgment (Rev.
10:7), we discover that both have the literal destruction of the world in view.
Surprisingly, the seventh vial judgment makes mention of this "great
city," which we discovered was quite probably the corporate church of Jesus Christ ... ("And the woman
which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the
earth," Rev. 17:18). Remarkably, we see that as the world is destroyed,
God distinguishes the corporate church (that great city) from the unsaved
world. The corporate church, of which symbolically two thirds will be judged
and one third saved (symbolical figures only; Zech. 13:8-9) is pictured as
being destroyed right along with the world at Judgment Day, since the corporate
church consists of all unsaved Christian "appearing" people. However,
the corporate church is distinguished from the unsaved secular world as we read
in Revelation 16:19 by the fact that God declares "the cities of
the nations fell" in reference to the destruction of the world at Judgment
Day. But, in the same verse and in addition to this, God also declares that at
this same time "the GREAT CITY [corporate church; Babylon the Great] was divided into three
parts" and "Great Babylon came into remembrance." Why
doesn't God include this great city in the phrase "the cities of the
nations fell"? Possibly because this great city is NOT a
literal city of the world as are the "cities of the nations." It
is Judgment Day! When God destroys the cities of the nations (along
with this earth and this universe), He will also physically destroy and judge
the corporate church, that imitation great city. But, because true believers
are the rightful proprietors of this great city, God will not judge the
Christians (the true Church) along with the great city. And so God says
"...the great city was divided into three parts..." (Rev.
16:19). Why? Because God will not judge the true Church, therefore He separates
or divides the great city. Recall that Christ said He would separate the
wheat from the tares at Judgment Day? Thus God will save His true remnant out
of this doomed earth. Zachariah spoke of this corporate church long ago as it
symbolized "two parts," one consisting of two parts, and the second
consisting of the "third part" or the true Church.
"And it shall come to pass,
that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off
and die, but the third shall be left therein," (Zechariah 13:8).
The third part shall forever remain with God because they are God's elect, both
those who are alive at His return along with those who died in Christ during
past centuries.
The corporate church (great
city/two parts) has become a harlot and is judged spiritually during the great
tribulation, and finally judged physically at the last day along with the rest
of the unsaved world.
FOOTNOTES:
24* "Pip'to" #4098
Strong's Greek. To fall (lit. or fig.): - fail, fall (down), light on.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Merchants
of the Earth
Revelation chapter eighteen mentions
"merchants" in four separate verses, all in regard to Babylon:
"For all nations have drunk of the wine
of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich
through the abundance of her delicacies." (Revelation 18:3)
"And the merchants of the earth
shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any
more." (Revelation 18:11)
"The merchants of these things,
which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment,
weeping and wailing." (Revelation 18:15)
"And the light of a candle shall shine
no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall
be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great men
of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Revelation
18:23)
Each of these verses discloses a partial
feature of these merchants. First we notice that the merchants of the earth are
waxed rich because of their ability to trade with Babylon. They have become rich through the
abundance of Babylon's
delicacies (verse 3). Secondly, the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn
over Babylon's
fall, because there is no one left to buy their merchandise any more, (verse
11). Thirdly, the merchants that were made rich from Babylon shall stand afar off for the fear of
her torment; for the fear of her divine judgment. Finally verse twenty-three
states that Babylon's
merchants were the great men of the earth, and by thy (the harlot's) sorceries
were all nations of the earth deceived.
Before we can grasp real truth out of these
passages we must first understand two vitally important facts, which are:
1.
These merchants are not merchandising in any literal and material commodities.
They are trafficking strictly in spiritual merchandise.
2.
Just as there are wheat and tares (believers and non-believers) dwelling
together within the corporate church; likewise there are true merchants and
false merchants, which is just another way of saying true and false Christians.
As we look to the New Testament in
determining the truth behind the biblical term "merchant," we notice
that apart from the Book of Revelation, this word "merchant" is used
only in Matthew chapter thirteen, where we read a very short parable:
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls. Who, when he had found one
pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it,"
(Matthew 13:45-46).
God declares that if you will seek Him with
all your heart, you will surely find Him. This merchant man was seeking the kingdom of God; the goodly pearls. When he had
found God, the pearl of great price, he sold all that he had and purchased this
great pearl. Naturally, the merchant man did not buy the pearl with money. When
scripture declares that he sold all that he had and bought the pearl of great
price, we must interpret this from scripture itself. The merchant man denied
himself (sold all that he had), and bought the pearl (applied his life to the
Gospel of Christ). The emphasis in this study is on the fact that the Gospel of
Christ was given to a MERCHANT MAN. There is great spiritual
significance in the term "merchant\merchant man." This merchant man
became a true child of God, therefore the thought of selling this pearl of
great price was not only impossible for him, but it would never come to mind,
since every true born-again Christian can never lose their salvation. He bought
the pearl and never sold it. However, when one buys and sells spiritual
merchandise, it is a clear indicator that he is still unsaved and dead in his
sins. He is a false merchant. Scripture straightly discloses that
"...no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the
name of the beast, or the number of his name," Revelation 13:17. The only
possible way that anyone might spiritually buy and sell is to remain under the
beguilement of Satan (the beast); to retain his spiritual mark upon your soul.
Isaiah chapter fifty-five begins with a beautiful declaration:
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye
to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea,
come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
Notice that we are told to "buy"
and yet we are told to buy "without money and without price."
To "buy" the gospel of salvation is simply a metaphoric term in
scripture which can only mean to seek God (as the parabolic merchant man did)
and to come to Christ. Once we have genuinely come to Christ (as God the Father
draws us, John 6:44) we have spiritually "purchased" the good
news; i.e. the gospel.
Proverbs 23:23 confirms this biblical truth,
wherein we read "Buy the truth, and sell it not... ".
Once we have bought into these goodly pearls, we are not to discard it, or
"sell" it as it were. This, of course, is virtually impossible for
any true child of God, since our salvation is sealed for eternity (2
Corinthians 1:22). However, scripture indicates that many are called, but few
chosen (Matthew 20:16). Many will fraudulently come to Christ superficially,
but after a time will fall away (sell the gospel) for various reasons (see
parable of the sower; Matthew chapter thirteen). Many will fall into half
truths, having a "form of godliness, buy denying the power," (2
Timothy 3:5). These are "merchants" of the gospel, however they
are false merchants. Their merchandise cannot bring man into the kingdom of God. Their merchandise will appear much
like the true merchandise of the Gospel of Christ, nevertheless it is a false
merchandise.
When studying the parable of the five wise
and five foolish virgins of Matthew chapter twenty-five, we find Christ
returning at the spiritual midnight hour. At that time the five wise virgins
trimmed their lamps and went out to meet Christ. The oil carried in their lamps
being symbolic of the Holy Spirit, no doubt. These five virgins were wise,
because they were filled with the Holy Ghost. Meanwhile, the five foolish
virgins had no oil in their lamps; thus they were foolish, they lacked the Holy
Ghost. They then begged the five wise virgins for some of their oil, for they
could not meet the bridegroom, having no oil in their lamps. The wise virgins
then answered them and said: "...not so; lest there be not enough for us
and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves," Matthew 25:9. Another dramatic picture of the
reception of the gospel being spiritually termed as buying that which is for
sale.
The only provisions for selling the true
Gospel of Christ is to become as Lydia. Recall in chapter six we saw
that Lydia
was a seller of purple, which, when compared with scripture, we concluded that
she too was a true spiritual merchant. To be a "seller" of
purple symbolizes trading or peddling or sharing the true Gospel of Christ. The
word "seller" means just that; to peddle or to share. As used
in Acts 16:14, it comes from the same Greek word as does "purple."
Clearly we see that Lydia
did not "discard" the gospel, as in "sell it not" (Proverbs
23:23); she shared or peddled the precious pearls; that is she was a
"seller" or "peddler" for God, in that she shared God's
Word with others. The word "seller" in this sense is in the positive
nature.
Thus far we know that scripture designates
two types of merchants. There are the false merchants who counterfeit the
Gospel of Christ, and then there are the true merchants who, like Lydia, are
"sellers" or "sharers" of the gospel. In both instances the
word "seller" can be used, meaning simply to merchandise (wares) in
these goods.
Now the question should be asked, are we on
the right track when we state that the merchants spoken of in Revelation
chapter eighteen are altogether those who peddle the Gospel of Christ? Does God
state anywhere in scripture that His Word or His redeeming grace is to be equated
with merchandise? Yes He does!
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding. For the MERCHANDISE of it is
better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine
gold." (Proverbs 3:13-14)
God is indisputably stating that His wisdom
and His understanding (which is the Word of God) is merchandise of which is
better than literal merchandise of silver and fine gold.
God again defines His true merchandise in
Isaiah chapter twenty-three:
"And her MERCHANDISE and her
hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid
up; for her MERCHANDISE shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to
eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing."
The true merchandise that God desires of His
people is "holiness to the LORD," which is dedication and
sanctification toward God. In the above verse we find that the true merchandise
of a true child of God ("them that dwell before the LORD") is to eat
sufficiently, and to wear durable clothing. To have eternal life we
must EAT of Christ, who is our spiritual bread (John 6:53). God's merchandise
for us is to see us eat sufficiently; that is to be full and satisfied with
Christ, our spiritual manna (John 6:50). Our merchandise also is that we are to
be adorned in "durable clothing." The Hebrew defines 25*"durable"
as properly, splendid, or antique. We are to be clothed and covered with
durable or splendid clothing, which only Christ and His righteousness can give
to us. Christ will spiritually robe us with His purity and righteousness (Rev.
7:13, 19:8). Apart from being spiritually clothed in Christ’s purity and
righteousness, all of humanity is in the same condition as the man at the
wedding feast who was not clothed in a wedding garment. This garment is the
spiritual symbol of being accepted into God's eternal kingdom. Without this
garment, all the world is as this man in the wedding parable, they are cast
into outer darkness (Matthew 22:1-14).
It is true that Isaiah 23:17-18 pictures Tyre, who is one of
several Old Testament types of the spiritual harlot of the tribulation days.
Even though Tyre
has become a harlot, God still divulges her once true spiritual merchandise
which will never succumb to degradation, because it is the true and
unchangeable pure Word of God.
As we examine the Hebrew word merchant
in the Old Testament we discover that there are four different Hebrew words
translated in the English version to the word "merchant." These four
are:
1.
Cachar (saw-khar') #5503; a primitive root; to travel round (specifically as a
peddlar); intensively, to palpitate: KJV - other renderings: go about, merchant
(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick.
2.
Rakal (raw-kal') #7402; a primitive root; to travel for trading: KJV - other
renderings: (spice) merchant
3.
Tuwr (toor) #8446; a primitive root; to meander (causatively, guide) about,
especially for trade or reconnoitring: KJV - chap [man], sent to descry, be
excellent, merchant [-man], search (out), seek, spy (out).
4.
Kena' aniy (ken-ah-an-ee') #3669; patrial from 3667; a Kenaanite or inhabitant
of Kenaan; by implication, a peddlar (the Canaanites standing for their
neighbors the Ishmaelites, who conducted mercantile caravans): KJV - Canaanite,
merchant, trafficker.
4.a
Kena' aniy is rooted from the word Kana (kaw-nah), meaning properly, to bend
the knee; to humiliate, vanquish: KJV - bring down (low), into subjection,
under, humble (self), subdue.
The above four Hebrew renderings all carry biblical significance and are linked in their spiritual purpose. For example, the first rendering (Cachar) is used in the following passages, of which are only a few listed below:
1.
Cachar (Saw-khar')
"And ye shall dwell with us: and the
land shall be before you; dwell and trade [Cachar; "merchant"]
ye therein, and get you possessions therein." (Genesis 34:10)
As Jacob pitched his tent near the city of Shalem, in the land
of Canaan, the invitation
was extended to he and his sons to merchandise or trade in this land.
"Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen
[Cachar; "merchant"]; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the
pit, and sold Joseph to the Ish'-mee-lites for twenty pieces of silver: and
they brought Joseph into Egypt."
(Genesis 37:28)
As Egypt represents the unsaved world
in scripture, Joseph was a symbol of the Word of God in a spiritually dead
world. As Joseph was in Egypt,
he typified Christ in the sin cursed earth. Joseph first had to endure the
wrath of God, by being betrayed by his brethren, and made to endure the pit, in
which his brethren cast him into "wherein was no water," (Genesis
37:24). This pit surely pictured Christ as He endured hell on behalf of all who
would believe in Him. Finally, Joseph escaped from the pit when merchantmen of
the Midianites passed by the pit, purchased him, and sold him in Egypt to
Potiphar, an officer to Pharaoh. All of this pictures God's salvation plan in
highly symbolical and spiritual gestures. Joseph was the Word of God,
spiritually purchased (bought and sold) from merchantmen, who are allegorically
portraying those who spiritually buy and sell the Word of God. These Midianite
merchantmen were led by God to take His gospel (Joseph) into Egypt.
"And bring your youngest brother unto
me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I
deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick [Cachar;
"merchant"] in the land." (Genesis 42:34)
Joseph, as ruler in Egypt, is giving his brethren permission to
traffick (ultimately meaning to spiritually merchandise) in the land of Egypt.
"She is like the merchants'
[Cachar; "merchant"] ships, she bringeth her food from afar."
(Proverbs 31:14)
Throughout the Book of Proverbs we read of
this virtuous woman, who can only be the true Church of Christ;
Old and New Testament periods. God compares the Church's cargo or merchandise
to merchants' ships, which carry her food from afar. The Church is equated to a
ship throughout scripture. Our cargo is spiritual food which comes from afar,
from the four corners of the earth and ultimately from God Himself.
2.
Tuwr (toor)
Man is commanded by God to search and seek
out God's Divine wisdom:
"And I gave my heart to seek and search
[toor; "merchant"] out by wisdom concerning all things that are done
under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be
exercised therewith." (Ecclesiastes 1:13)
"I applied mine heart to know, and to search
[toor; "merchant"], and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things,
and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness."
(Ecclesiastes 7:25)
The sons of men are to search out the Word
of God (wisdom) as merchant men trafficking about seeking only spiritual
commerce. We don't traffic in the literal sense as in traveling here and there,
but we traffic in the spiritual sense as we search here and there for the
wisdom that leads to eternal life. Literal traffickers of Old Testament
chapters were without question types and pictures of the spiritual trafficker
seeking spiritual trade.
When the sons of men come inquiring into
spiritual truth, it is as if we come as spies and merchants
investigating and exploring a newly found land, as the parabolic
"merchantman" of Matthew chapter thirteen went seeking those
"goodly pearls."
"And Moses sent them to spy
[toor; "merchant"] out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get
you up his way southward [south: God / north: Satan], and go up into the
mountain." (Numbers 13:17)
"In the day that I lifted up mine hand
unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt
[spiritually representing the unsaved] into a land that I had espied
[toor; "merchant"] for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is
the glory of all lands." (Ezekiel 20:6 )
Our time of sojourning on this earth is a
time of spiritual testing, as is indicated by the numbers forty, four hundred,
and four thousand.
"And they returned from searching
[toor; "merchant"] of the land after forty days." (Numbers
13:25)
3.
Kena aniy (Ken-ah-an-ee')
"And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite,
and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites
[Ken-ah-an-ee'; "merchant"] spread abroad." (Genesis 10:18)
"And it shall be when the LORD shall
bring thee into the land of the Canaanites [Ken-ah-an-ee';
"merchant"], as he swear unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give
it thee." (Genesis 13:11)
"And the captivity of this host of the
children of Israel shall
possess that of the Canaanites [Ken-ah-an-ee'; "merchant"],
even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem,
which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south." (Obadiah
1:20)
As mentioned earlier, the Hebrew word for
"merchant" (Ken-ah-an-ee') is also translated as Canaanite and
trafficker. This word is rooted from the Hebrew word kana (kaw-nah')
which means to bend the knee; to bring down low, to bring into subjection,
to humble oneself, or to subdue. As is plainly observed, these definitions
are descriptions of the biblical "broken and contrite heart" that God
molds into all true believers; all true spiritual "merchants"
(Canaanites; Ken-ah-an-ee'). These are they who inherit the spiritual promise
land - the eternal land
of Canaan
(ken-ah-an-ee').
Isaiah chapter twenty-three (The Burden of
Tyre); Isaiah chapter forty-seven (O Virgin Daughter of Babylon); Jeremiah
chapters fifty and fifty-one (Babylon); Ezekiel chapter twenty-seven (A
Lamentation for Tyrus or Tyre); and Nahum chapter three (The Burden of Nineveh;
which originated in the land of Babylon ), are all chapters that display the
Babylon of Revelation chapter eighteen, in that they prophesy of a once great
city that has fallen. Descriptions are very similar and much too numerous to
detail in this study. These chapters, once carefully studied, no doubt prophesy
and convey (with many similitudes) exactly what Revelation chapters seventeen
and eighteen are teaching. The Book of Nahum pronounces judgment upon the city
of Nineveh.
Chapter three especially parallels many of the details given in Revelation
chapter eighteen. Nahum 2:13 declares of Nineveh:
"... and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard."
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary defines the word "messenger" (mal-awk) as
"to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically , of God i.e. an
angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher). In other words, God's voice; His
Word declared by His priests, His prophets. His messengers will no longer be
heard in this symbolical city. Merchants can be found in all of these chapters,
and of course their merchandise is the original and true Word of God.
When we return to the eighteenth chapter of
Revelation we see, as we stated at the beginning of this chapter, that there
are four verses which speak of merchants. What do we notice about these
merchants? What familiarity characterizes them? They are in mourning; they are
grieving, sorrowing, and lamenting over the fact that their merchandise is no
longer in demand! These merchants appear to be sincere believers in Christ.
They have become spiritually rich through the abundance of the Church's
(Christ's) delicacies, Revelation 18:3, (see Chapter 13 ). Now, in this time of
the great tribulation, "no man buyeth their merchandise any more,"
(Rev. 18:15). The voice of Christ and the voice of His true Church is heard no
more in her. These merchants meant nothing to the world. They were obscure and
inconsequential to the deceived eyes of the world. But God says of them:
"... for thy merchants were the great men of the earth," (Rev.
18:23). As merchants are portrayed in scripture as both believers and
unbelievers, in the same manner the term "great men" can signify both
believer and nonbeliver. In 2 Samuel 7:9 we read what the Lord has to say to
David:
"And I was with thee whithersoever thou
wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made
thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the
earth."
David was a servant of God, of course. God
states that He has made David a great name. God also states that He has
made David to be among the great men of the earth. It may be doubtful
that these other great men that God is referring to are worshippers of the one
true God, however the fact remains that God relates to David as a great man
of the earth. Again we must realize that both saved and unsaved men can be
alluded to in scripture as great men.
Returning to our study, it is by this
harlot's sorceries that all nations were deceived, (Rev. 18:23). The merchants
stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, verse fifteen
says.
Yes, this is the condition of every true
believer today. We stand far off from the harlot church for fear of her
judgment! A true child of God should not associate himself with the harlot
(corporate) church of these final days.
This chapter states that these merchants of
the earth are representative of the true Church, which has fled from the
corporate church. To the contrary, a false merchant could never sorrow because
the true Word of Christ has been silenced from the corporate church. This
anguish and lamenting comes only from the true child of God, whose heart
aches over observing the world's only hope for eternal salvation being
suppressed and stifled as never before. The true merchant of God weeps because
her merchandise is no longer being purchased; her true gospel is no longer
being proclaimed.
At this point we should stress the fact that
if this chapter has the literal destruction of the world in view, where then -
we should ask - are this world's material merchants standing from in order to
be "afar off" from her torment? The entire earth will be destroyed at
that day. No one can stand "afar off" and watch in the literal sense.
Not even in outer space can one hide, for the universe itself will be
dissolved. No, only by staying in harmony with scripture can these verses make
sense. God commands the true believer to "flee to the mountains" once
we see the abomination of desolation occurring in the congregations of the
world. To "flee to the mountains" is a phrase used to indicate
fleeing to the kingdom
of God. God also says
"come out of her my people," (Revelation 18:4). To "flee
to the mountains" or to "come out of her, my people" is indeed
language indicating to "stand afar off" - "for the fear of her
torment."
"The merchants of these things,
which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her
torment, weeping and wailing." (Revelation 18:15)
If this verse is read superficially, as if
we were reading a mystery novel, then of course one's logical conclusion would
be that these merchants are literally standing a long way off from the physical
destruction of this great city. We would want to keep our distance from its
destruction, by all means. When one witnesses a large building ablaze, do we
run up close and stand directly under the burning embers? No, naturally we would
keep our distance from this calamity. However, as we compare the Bible as a
whole, we know that God is calling for the true believers to keep their
distance from this great harlot. We are to be obedient to God's command. This
great city is under God's spiritual judgment, thus we are to stand afar off
from her torment. Please see Chapter 21. Incidently, by studying this word
"torment," one will discover that it has everything to do with God's
eternal torment or wrath on the wicked of the world - all who know not Christ
as Savior.
"And when he was come to the other side
into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils,
coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that
way."
"And, behold, they cried out, saying,
What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment
us before the time?" (Matthew 8:28-29)
FOOTNOTES:
24*
"Aw-theek'" #6266 Strong's Hebrew. Antique, i.e. venerable or
splendid.
The Interlinear Bible; Hendrickson: "Choice
covering"
CHAPTER TWELVE
Her Merchants
Have Waxed Rich
How are we to interpret passages
which state that these merchants have waxed rich?
"... and the merchants of
the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
(Revelation 18:3)
"The merchants of these
things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear
of her torment, weeping and wailing." (Revelation 18:15)
"... wherein were made rich
all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness..." (Revelation
18:19)
"For in one hour so great riches
is come to nought..." (Revelation 18:17)
We have seen thus far in this
study that these merchants deal in spiritual merchandise, therefore it is
doubtful that scripture is suggesting that these merchants have become
materially rich as a result of their marketing. Many, however, believe that
this is the conclusive thought behind the teaching of these merchants. In other
words, the world laments over its own destruction because they will no longer
be able to enjoy their luxurious and sumptuous material goods. This idea is
foreign to scripture, since the Bible focuses on eternal matters. The Bible
provides us with plenty of clues concerning these spiritual matters. The
proclamation of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is that Jesus Christ is
our one and only way into the Kingdom
of Heaven. This same
proclamation holds true when we study Revelation chapters seventeen and
eighteen.
Scripture warns of the dangers
of being materially rich in this world. "But they that will be rich fall
into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which
drown men in destruction and perdition," I Timothy 6:9. Christ's desire
for all believers is to be rich in spiritual matters. For example, we
read in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews that Moses cherished or
"esteemed" the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt,
verse 26. Moses, who was taken into Egyptian royalty as an infant, grew up in
Pharaoh's household. Years later he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter (Heb. 11:24), and he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, (verse 25). The writer
of the Book of Hebrews declares this of Moses: "Esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt..., (verse 26). This should
be a great example to every true believer in Christ. God declares in Luke
12:20-21 that men are fools who lay up treasures for themselves, and are not
"rich" toward God.
"For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: for the same LORD over all is rich unto
all that call upon him." (Romans 10:12)
(I Timothy 6:17-19):
"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor
trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly
all things to enjoy."
"That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate."
"Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to
come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."
God's desire is that we are rich
in His Word!
"I know thy works, and
tribulation, and poverty, (but thou are rich)...," (Revelation 2:9)
"I counsel thee to buy of
me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich...,"
(Revelation 3:18)
"Hearken, my beloved
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and
heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (James
2:5)
The Old Testament, in many
areas, teaches material wealth being distributed to followers of God. King
Solomon, for example, possessed a vast amount of physical wealth. These riches
need to be understood in their proper biblical perspective. God granted
material riches to some of the Old Testament kings of Judah and Israel, and even Daniel and Joseph,
for the sole purpose of picturing the "child of God" as being
spiritually rich. Yes, and as a matter of fact these Old Testament commodities
were all listed as descriptions (word synonyms) of varying items which
spiritually represented the Gospel of Christ. For example we read in Genesis
13:2 of Abram's riches:
"...Abram was very rich
in cattle, in silver, and in gold."
Hezekial, a king of Judah, whose
name means "strength of God" was said to possess many riches. II
Chronicles 32:27 records his riches:
"And Hezekial had exceeding
much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver,
and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and
for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels."
The above riches, displayed as
material riches, are ultimately the spiritual riches of the Gospel of Christ.
Hezekiah was a good king of Judah
and therefore a "type" of Christ.
King Solomon also was an Old
Testament "type" or representation of Christ, therefore his material
goods were also pictures of the gospel. We read of these riches in the
following verses:
"And king Solomon passed
all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom," (II
Chronicles 9:22).
Notice particularly that God
equates Solomon's riches to his wisdom. King Solomon had much Godly wisdom, and
yet was rich in material wealth. Material riches are a hindrance to the New
Testament teachings on faith, and are contrary to the New Testament warnings
concerning the "deceitfulness of riches." King Solomon's riches were
again pictures of being spiritually rich in Christ. His riches surpassed
all of the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom, (II Chronicles
9:22). We also read in II Chronicles 9:23:
"... all the kings of
the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had
put in his heart."
The phrase kings of the earth
is not without its spiritual significance. Scripture tells us that every true
child of God is called to the title of "king."
"... the honour of kings
is to search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:1)
"It is an abomination to kings
to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness,"
(Proverbs 16:12)
"... Kings shall see
and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful,
and the Holy One of Isreal, and he shall choose thee," (Isaiah 49:7).
"And the Gentiles shall
come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising,"
(Isaiah 60:3).
"All the kings of
the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth,
" (Psalm 138:4)
"It is he that giveth
salvation unto kings...," (Psalm 144:10)
We can easily go on and on with
scripture after scripture that portrays the child of God as a "king"
or even "kings of the earth." But let us sum up the matter by putting
a New Testament cap or seal on this idea:
"And hath made us kings
and priests unto his father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and
ever, Amen," (Revelation 1:6).
"And the nations of them
that are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth
do bring their glory and honour into it," (Revelation 21:24).
Indeed, the true child of God is
perceived by God as a spiritual "king of the earth." We don't
possess the material wealth that a literal king of the earth would possess. Our
inheritance is something altogether foreign to what any earthly king or royalty
would possess. Our inheritance is spiritual and everlasting life. This same
idea is true in that as a spiritual king our inheritance is spiritual riches
(not material goods), stored up in heaven.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through
and steal:"
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."
(Matthew 6:19-20)
Not surprisingly, scripture
records that there are false kings of the earth as well.
"The kings of the earth
set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and
against his anointed...," (Psalm 2:2)
As there are wheat and tares
together in the corporate church, likewise there are true and false merchants
as there are true and false kings within the church. These are all metaphors or
symbols of true and false Christians (wheat and tares) within the corporate
church. Therefore, when scripture records that king Solomon passed all the
kings of the earth in riches and wisdom, it may well be allegorically depicting
king Solomon as a picture of Christ. He held the spiritual rule in the earth,
as does Christ. He was rich materially, which pointed to the spiritual
richness of Christ and all who would inherit His eternal kingdom.
King Solomon was commissioned by
God the Father to literally build the Temple
of God in the literal city of Jerusalem. He typified
Christ, as our LORD was commissioned by God the Father to build the spiritual
Temple of God
in the spiritual city of Jerusalem.
The word "Jerusalem"
means "the habitation of peace." Therefore, much of what King Solomon
stood for and did was in shadowing the mission of Christ, the builder of God's
final Temple.
It is the opinion of this study that the merchants mentioned in Revelation
chapter eighteen are representative of true believers, since they have waxed
spiritually rich "through the abundance of her delicacies,"
Revelation 18:3.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Merchants Have
Become Rich from Abundance of Her Delicacies
"...and the merchants of
the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
(Revelation 18:3)
If we were reading these verses
superficially we would have to conclude that these merchants were becoming
materially rich through the abundance of Babylon's
material goods, her delicacies and the such. But what is God really telling us
when we read the phrase "the merchants of the earth are waxed rich
through the abundance of her delicacies?" In defining the word
"abundance" from the Greek, we find that it does not mean a large
quantity or surplus, as one would normally assume. It is the Greek word 26*"doo'-nam-is"
and is defined as force; specially, miraculous power (usually by
implication, a miracle itself). This word is translated only once as
"abundance" and of course that is in Revelation chapter eighteen.
From everything we can gather, we see that the merchants of the earth have
become spiritually rich through the might and power of this woman's
delicacies. But what are her 27*delicacies? Many Greek New Testaments
translate this word as luxury. One definition from the English language defines
delicacies as "a luxury or dainty; something that is delicate in
taste". Literally, this could be describing a delicatessen full of dainty
foods, "an excess of sweetness or richness." We can certainly see the
spiritual implications as God's Word is written in parables. Certainly these
delicacies in which this woman - now harlot - possessed are not literal
dainties of any sort. Of course they must be spiritual dainties. These dainties
are symbolic of the true Word of God.
"And I took the little book
out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as
honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter."
(Revelation 10:10)
"For we are unto God a sweet
savior of Christ ...," (II Cor. 2:15).
"How sweet are thy
words unto my taste! , than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)
"... and the mountains
shall drop down sweet wine, ... " (Amos 9:13)
Throughout scripture we read of
God's Word being "sweet," and like "honey," and also being
liken to "sweet" wine. God uses many soothing words to describe His
good news of redemption to fallen man. The word "delicacies"
is just one of many synonyms used in scripture for the gospel. This word is
translated as "luxury" in the New King James Version.
"Delicacies" is a hard word to translate since there are no other
renderings of it in the New Testament. It is rooted from
"ster-eh-os'," which is to remain "stedfast,"
"strong," or "sure". The only examples are:
"Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth sure ..." (II Timothy 2:19)
"But strong meat
belongeth to them that are of full age..." (Hebrews 5:14)
As we said, the New King James
translates delicacies as "luxury." Whether luxury or delicacies, we
know that this word is somehow related to spiritual dainties. This will be
examined in the following chapter. When examining the phrase "abundance
of her delicacies," we find many similarities in the Book of
Lamentations. An interesting verse is found in Lamentations 4:5, which reads:
"They that did feed delicately
are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet
embrace dunghills."
This section of scripture seems
to be ultimately speaking of the abomination of desolation. Looking at verse
twelve of the same chapter, we read:
"The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world,
would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered
into the gates of Jerusalem."
The "gates of Jerusalem" being
parabolic language signifying the spiritual gates of heaven. That is to say
that Christ is the door and the gate to the kingdom of God.
He is the head and the cornerstone of the spiritual Temple of believers. His Church is the
earthly gate that leads to heaven. Lamentations 4:5 seems to be portraying the
end time abomination of desolation in similar language as we read in Revelation
chapter eighteen. Lamentations tells us that "those who feed
delicately" are desolate in the streets. The word "delicately"
means dainties or delight. Those who feed delicately must be the true
spiritual merchant; the true born-again Christian. Here in Lamentations 4:5
they are desolate in the streets. Their gospel has been desecrated or cut off
as a result of the abomination of desolation. The merchants are desolate and in
the streets; forced out of the harlot church and it's desecration of the true
gospel. They are the true merchants standing afar off from these abominable
congregations.
Lamentations 4:5 goes on to say
"... they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills."
Again this is simply reiterating what has already been said. Those that were
brought up in scarlet are God's elect, the true believer. Notice that God uses
the figure or symbol of scarlet to depict His Truth. Just as we saw when
looking at the apparel worn by the harlot Mystery Babylon. Those that were
brought up in the Word of God NOW embrace dunghills! God uses the
word "dunghill" in denoting or expressing man's unsaved spiritual
condition. Those that were brought up in scarlet are now forced to embrace
dunghills - they are still saved but now are forced out of the apostate
churches, leaving them to embrace dunghills. The following are two examples:
"He raiseth up the poor out
of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them
among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of
the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. (1 Samuel 2:8)
"Salt is good: but if the
salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit
for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 14:34-35)
As we look at Lamentation 4:1 we
find that God's truth is being worn down or eroded. Note that if these
occurrences have transpired in Old Testament time, they will indeed repeat
themselves within the congregations of the end time church.
"How is the gold
become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! The stones of the
sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street." (Lamentation 4:1)
Here we see descriptive terms
for God's Word and it's richness such as gold and fine gold paralleling the
descriptions of the harlot's possessions in Revelation chapter 18. This is only
a partial example of how God's Word is defined in biblical terminology as dainties,
scarlet, gold, etc., etc.
FOOTNOTES:
25* "Doo'-nam-is" # 1411
Strong's Greek. Force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl.
a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (ily,-y,deed), (worker
of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. From
#1410 "Doo'nam-ahee"; to be able or possible, might, be of power.
"Doo'-nam-is" is
translated power in "The Interlinear Greek-English"; Berry, and in
"The Interlinear Bible"; Hendrickson.
26* "Stray'-nos"; # 4764
from Strong's Greek. A straining, strenuousness, or strength, i.e. (fig.)
luxury (voluptuousness):-delicacy.
From #4731 "Ster-eh-os'"; solid, stable, , stedfast, strong,
sure."
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
All Things Dainty
& Goodly are Departed from Thee
"And the fruits that thy
soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty
and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at
all." (Revelation 18:14)
The true merchants of the earth
are weeping because there is practically no salvation to be found in the
corporate church. She has fallen into harlotry, therefore the fruits of her
once Godly labor are departed from her. "The fruits that thy soul
lusted after are departed from thee," (verse 14). This word
"lusted" means to look upon or to set the heart upon, and can be used
in both a positive or a negative manner. It is translated "desireth"
in the following two verses:
"This is a true saying, If
a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth [translated
"lust" elsewhere] a good work." (I Timothy 3:1)
"Unto whom it was revealed,
that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are
now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the
Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire
[translated "lust" elsewhere] to look into." (I Peter
1:12)
This is being addressed because
there are those who believe that the biblical "lusting" is always in association
with sin or the lusting of the things of this world. However, the saints of God
comprise a righteous "lust" after holiness and other divine virtues
of the Creator Himself, no doubt. This seems to be the condition of which
Revelation 18:14 is making reference to, "...the fruits that thy
soul lusted [desireth] after are departed from thee..." These 27*"fruits"
are "ripe fruits"; summer or early autumn fruits only, as indicated
in the Greek, and is used in one other place - Jude 12 - as 28*"autumn
trees," but bearing no fruit when fruit should be expected. The book of
Jude could well be making reference to the desecration of the corporate church
during the days of the great tribulation. Today, spiritual fruit would normally
be expected in the corporate church, as in past centuries, from Pentecost and
forward.
All things that are dainty
and goodly are also departed from her. Verse fourteen ends with the
statement: "and thou shalt find them no more at all." This passage
does not speak of this world's material luxury, nor does it allude to
extravagant goods of any kind which may be termed as "dainty." God is
not focusing on this world's costly merchandise. Verse eleven tells us that the
merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over this woman because her
merchandise is no longer being (spiritually) purchased. Verses twelve and
thirteen list her former Godly merchandise, (detailed in Chapter 15). She is no
longer concerned with the true Christian walk. God is judging her by allowing
Satan to spiritually desecrate her corporately, resulting in countless false
doctrines and false gospels, and is evident by the lack of any true fruits of
the spirit.
Those things which were dainty
and goodly are departed from her, verse fourteen. As mentioned in the last
chapter, her dainties must be spiritual dainties. The word "dainty"
comes from the Greek word 29*"liparos" and properly signifies
"oily, or anointed with oil." The Old Testament word for 30*
"dainty" carries the meaning of delicately or delight, and as seen in
the following verses, it is in reference to the delight of salvation; the
precious royal dainties of the Gospel of Christ in which believers are to feed
upon.
"Out of Asher his bread
shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties
["mah-ad-awn'": delight, delicately]." (Genesis 49:20)
"Correct thy son, and he
shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight
["mah-ad-awn'": dainties, delicately] unto thy soul." (Proverbs
29:17)
"They that did feed delicately
["mah-ad-awn'": dainties, delight] are desolate in the street: they
that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills." (Lamentations 4:5)
This Hebrew word is rooted from
"aw-dan'" which is to be soft or pleasant:
"And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses
full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in
abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted
["aw-dan'"] themselves in thy great goodness." (Nehemiah 9:25)
These strong cities; this fat
land wherein were houses full of goods, wells digged, vineyards,
oliveyards planted, and fruit trees in abundance are all terms for God's
magnificent and glorious plan of salvation. We find this parabolic language
representing our spiritual rest and safety. These are the royal dainties
that the soul of the true child of God will most certainly delight in.
Yet, at the end of this age, as Christ is about to appear to institute Judgment
Day, these wonderful attributes of the true Gospel will be seen no more in the
corporate church. The analogy of spiritual dainties is but figurative language
describing the precious plan of redemption that God the Father has chosen for
His elect throughout all nations of the earth. These dainties, to a large
degree, will only be found in small and scattered assemblies of believers;
those who have fled from the spiritual harlot, for the fear of her judgment.
Verse fourteen of Revelation
chapter eighteen also tells us that those things which were 31* goodly
are departed from her as well. This word "goodly" symbolizes Christ
as "dainty" also signified Him. "Goodly" denotes the
radiance and purity of Christ and His Gospel. "Goodly" is also
translated as bright, clear, gay, goodly, gorgeous, white.
Let us recall James 2:2-4:
"For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly
["lam-pros'"] apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile
raiment;"
"And ye have respect to him
that weareth the gay ["lam-pros'"] clothing, and say unto him,
Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit
here under my footstool:"
"Are ye not then partial in
yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"
Many read these verses
understanding only its moral and historical content, while disregarding much of
the spiritual account. We are to welcome any and all destitute unbelievers from
the streets into our congregations just as eagerly as we are to welcome a rich
man. This is taught in these few verses of James chapter two. God doesn't stop
at this layer of teaching. In fact, God elevates the meaning into the spiritual
level by correlating scripture with scripture. When James speaks of a man
entering into our assembly wearing a gold ring, and dressed in goodly
apparel, we picture this man as being well-to-do, respectable, and of good
status. But over and above this historical meaning rests the spiritual
interpretation. This man in goodly apparel represents a saved person,
thus the goodly apparel. The word "goodly" comes from the same
Greek word as does "goodly" in Revelation 18:14, of which
"...all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from
thee...". This man's spiritual apparel is the righteousness of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Thus too, he is spiritually rich in salvation and in
the Gospel of Christ. Not only was this man robed in goodly apparel, he is said
to also be wearing the gay clothing (James 2:3), meaning he presents
himself as cheerful and happy. The word "gay" also comes from the
same Greek word as does "goodly," meaning radiant, magnificent,
and sumptuous in appearance. Not only is God telling us not to be partial
and judgmental in our thoughts and deeds concerning the rich and poor of this
world, yet He is also showing us how we are to receive the saved (man in
"goodly" apparel and "gay" clothing) and the unsaved (the
poor man in vile raiment) into our congregations or assemblies.
The following verses may help to
substantiate the fact that "goodly" and "gay"
(lam-pros') characterizes Christ Himself and His own Church:
"And Herod with his men of
war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous
[lam-pros'] robe, and sent him again to Pilate." (Luke 23:11)
"And Cornelius said, Four
days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my
house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright [lam-pros']
clothing." (Acts 10:30)
(God appeared to Cornelius in
the form of a man in "bright" clothing.)
"And the seven angels came
out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white
[lam-pros'] linen...," (Revelation 15:6)
"And to her was granted
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white [lam-pros']: for
the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." (Revelation 19:8)
"And he shewed me a pure
river of water of life, clear [lam-pros'] as crystal, proceeding out of
the throne of God and of the Lamb." (Revelation 22:1)
"I Jesus have sent mine
angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the
offspring of David, and the bright [lam-pros'] and morning star."
(Revelation 22:16)
(Jesus is the bright and morning star, which meaning is the same as radiant,
the magnificent, the clear, the gorgeous, the goodly
or gay.)
This word "goodly"
(lam-pros') is rooted from the Greek word "lam-pas'" which
carries the meaning of lamp, light, or torch. All of which describes the
God of the Bible. Some examples are:
"And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps
[lam-pas'] of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of
God." (Revelation 4:5)
"Then shall the kingdom of
heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps [lam-pas'],
and went forth to meet the bridegroom." (Matthew 25:1)
The word "goodly"
[lam-pros'] being rooted from "lam-pas'" is also associated with the
Greek primary verb "lam'-po," which means to radiate brilliancy;
to give light or to shine. Some examples are:
"Let your light
[lam'-po] so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
"And was transfigured
before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as
the light [lam'-po]. (Matthew 17:2)
"For God, who commanded the
light [lam'-po] to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give light [lam'-po] of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ." (II Corinthians 4:6)
"And, behold, the angel of
the Lord came upon him, and a light [lam'-po] shined in the prison: and
he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And
his chains fell off from his hands." (Acts 12:7)
We see that the word
"goodly" and "dainty" are associated with absolutely
nothing of this material world. Jesus states that "He is not of this world,"
therefore neither should we attempt to understand and correlate His Word with
the things of the world. We are to look for the spiritual meaning, and by
finding the correct heavenly meaning, we are guaranteed of finding the Gospel
in every sentence. The "goodly" and "dainty" things of
Revelation chapter eighteen, which are now departed from the corporate church,
are highly likely to be in reference to the way of the cross of Christ. The
merchants of the earth weep and mourn because the way of salvation is heard no
longer in the corporate church
of Christ. No man
buyeth (receives) their "Gospel" merchandise any more!
FOOTNOTES:
27* "Op-o'-rah" #3703
Strong's Greek. From base of #3796; prop. even-tide of the (summer) season (dog
days), i.e. (by impl.) ripe fruit.
#3796 "Op-seh"; (through the idea of backwardness); (adv.) late in
the day; by extens, after the close of the day: - (at) even, in the end.
28* Vine's Expository Dictionary of
Biblical Words
29* "Lip-ar-os'" #3045
Strong's Greek. Signifies "oily or, anointed with oil" (from lipos,
"grease," connected with aleipho, "to anoint"; it is said
of things which pertain to delicate and sumptuous living; hence,
"dainty."
30* Dainty/dainties in Hebrew:
#4574 "Mah-ad-awn'"; (or fem.) from #5727; a delicacy or (abstr.)
pleasure (adv. cheerfully): dainty, delicately, delight. Also from #4516
"Man-am'"; a delicacy: - dainty. Rooted from #5276
"Naw--ame'"; to be agreeable (lit. or fig.): - pass in beauty, be
delight, be pleasant, be sweet. Also from #4303 "Mat-am-maw'"; a
delicacy: - dainty (meat), savory meat.
31* "Lam-pros'" #2986
Strong's Greek. Radiant; by anal.limpid; fig. magnificent or sumptuous (in
appearance).: - bright, clear, gay, goodly, gorgeous, white. From the same as
#2985 "Lam-pas'"; a "lamp" or flambeau: - lamp, light,
torch. From #2989 "Lam'-po"; to beam, i.e. radiate brilliancy (lit.
or fig.): - give light, shine.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
(A)
The Merchant's
Merchandise (no longer found)
"And the merchants of the earth
shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore"
(Revelation 18:11)
Scripture tells us that this
great city is in fact this woman in the wilderness, Revelation 17:18. Scripture
also tells us that this very woman (city) reigns over the kings of the earth.
It is Christ and His Church who reigns over the kings of the earth. This woman
has fallen into spiritual adultery. Now, in the final years of this earth's
existence, she is termed the "Mother of Harlots." This is the
manifestation and the unveiling of the abomination of desolation worldwide. In
this chapter we will briefly examine the merchandise which rightfully belongs
to the true merchant, i.e. Christ and His bride - the Church. It is the lack
of this merchandise within the organized and corporate church that provokes the
weeping and mourning of the true spiritual merchants. It is the time of Great
Tribulation. Satan has shrewdly and cunningly taken his seat within the
corporate church, unnoticed by any and all who are spiritually blind to this
prophecy. The question is asked, are these literal merchants of the earth? Are
they weeping over the loss of material goods that are being destroyed at
Judgment Day? Or do we dare suppose that these merchants are spiritual
merchants of the true Gospel weeping and mourning over the fact that the true
Gospel is no longer heard in the corporate church?
The following is a list of the
merchandise belonging to these merchants, of which are no longer to be found in
this woman; this great city in the wilderness.
"The merchandise of gold,
and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine
linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine
wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of
most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,"
"And cinnamon, and odours,
and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil,
and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep,
and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men."
(Revelation 18:12-13)
"THE
MERCHANT'S MERCHANDISE"
GOLD
The gold of scripture
characterizes Christ as our King of kings. Psalm 21:3 speaks of the Savior
wherein we read: "...thou settest a crown of pure gold on his
head." Verse one of the same Psalm declares Him to be "The
King." This same truth is underscored again in Revelation 14:14, "And
I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud sat like unto the Son of
man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle." God the Father has crowned His son in pure gold, symbolically
speaking. Christ is the one true King of kings and LORD of lords. All who come
into this new birth in Christ are themselves spiritual kings and priests of
Christ's kingdom.
Gold is also a symbol of the
trials and faith of the Christian walk. In Revelation 3:18 Christ counsels us
to buy of Him "gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich." Notice particularly that Christ invites us to buy this gold.
This gold is spiritual merchandise and we are to buy the gospel and sell
it not (Proverbs 23:23). As we have already discovered, to "buy" the
truth is simply a phrase termed for receiving the gospel. Once we have come
into the true faith and have experienced the Christian walk, we are as gold
tried in the fire, that we may be rich in faith. Zechariah 13:9 speaks of God's
true believers as the "third part." There we read: "And I will
bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is
refined, and will try them as gold is tried..." This world is a
testing ground, and we indeed are being tried.
We read in Exodus of much gold
that was used in the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. We also read
in I Kings of the gold that King Solomon used in constructing the Temple in Jerusalem.
Many other places in scripture we find gold being used, not only for
construction of both the tabernacle in the wilderness and Solomon's Temple, but for their
interior designs as well. Much of everything that was used in the dressings of
these temples played a symbolical part in picturing Christ and His elect in the
final and eternal spiritual Temple
- the body of Christ and His believers.
SILVER
The true believer is also
equated to silver in scripture. We are to be tried and refined as silver
(Zechariah 13:9). "The words of the LORD pure words: as silver
tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times," Psalm 12:6. Again we
read in Psalm 66:10 "For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us,
as silver is tried." Ezekiel 16:13 speaks of the bride of Christ, typified
by Old Testament Jerusalem. "Thus was thou decked with gold and silver;
and thy raiment of fine linen..." Throughout scripture we read of silver
being used in the tabernacle in the wilderness as well as in King Solomon's Temple, of which typified believers in the everlasting
spiritual Temple
- the body of Christ.
PRECIOUS STONES
Jesus Christ is the precious
stone of scripture: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in
Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner , a sure
foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste," Isaiah 28:6. The
Hebrew rendering of "precious" carries the meaning of brightness,
clear, excellent, or costly.
All true believers are
identified with Christ, and typified not only as silver and gold, but as
precious stones as well. We are all spiritual stones that make up the whole
body of Christ. I Peter 2:5 tells us "Ye also, as lively stones,
are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
We read in I Chronicles 29:2 a
brief overview of the costly array that was to go into the building of
Solomon's Temple: "Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of
my God the gold for of gold, and the silver for of silver, and the brass for of
brass, the iron for of iron, and wood for of wood; onyx stones, and to be set,
glistering stones, and of divers colours, all manner of precious stones,
and marble stones in abundance."
Concerning the New Heaven and
the New Earth - the eternal Temple
- we read: "And the foundations of the wall of the city garnished with all
manner of precious stones...," Revelation 21:19.
As Revelation chapter eighteen
lists the merchandise that is no longer found in this woman (now fallen
harlot), do we attribute this gold, silver, and precious stones to simply being
defined as some of the extravagant and expensive material goods of the world?
Goods that are no longer to be purchased by the merchants of the earth? Even
the worse of sinners will recognize that the end of the world will mean
everything literal will be no more. The teaching behind all of the harlot's
merchandise is that the corporate church has become universally apostate,
therefore the true merchandise she once preserved (which is spiritual) is no longer
there for the asking. The true merchandise she once harbored are the precious
doctrines of the one true Word of God, and everything affiliated with Christ
and His bride. The merchandise are the vessels and instruments of the true and
spiritual Temple
of God, prefigured
by the Old Testament temple furnishings. All is gone from her. None is left.
God has judged His outward church. Judgment begins at the house of God, and
thus the true Christian merchants weep and mourn over the finality of her
spiritual judgment.
PEARLS
We read in Revelation 18:12 that
pearls are another cherished merchandise that is no longer found in this great
city. Again in verse sixteen it is said that she is decked with pearls. There
is no mention of pearls in the Old Testament other than Job chapter
twenty-eight, which has only material pearls in view. Matthew chapter thirteen,
however, declares that the kingdom of heaven in liken unto a pearl of
great price. Aside from the harlot being arrayed with pearls (Rev. 17:4;
18:12,16), we find only one other mention of pearls, and that being in Matthew
7:6, where pearls are being contrasted to "that which is holy." Not
until Revelation chapter twenty-one, do we read of pearls.
"And the twelve gates were
twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the
street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
(Revelation 21:21)
We have a highly symbolical
portrait of the eternal New Jerusalem. Pearls make up a portion of the
symbolism. It is no surprise that the harlot church is decked with pearls,
since Satan is the great imitator of God. This spiritual harlot is the
counterfeit church of the end times. Because of the overspreading of
abominations within her, God has made her desolate, even until the consummation
(fulfillment or completion), and that which is determined shall be poured upon
the desolate. See Daniel 9:27. She too, like the true and faithful Church, is
spiritually arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and
precious stones and pearls (Rev. 17:4). She is mimicking the true Church in
every sense. She is the end-time deception, of which God declares "...if
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect," Matthew 24:24.
FINE LINEN
Fine linen ultimately represents
the righteousness of the saints. Concerning the bride of Christ, the
wife of the Lamb (Rev. 19:8), we read the following:
"And to her was granted
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine
linen is the righteousness of the saints."
When Christ returns to judge
this earth, it is said that He will come with His armies of saints, all clothed
in fine linen, (Rev. 19:14).
The first mention of fine linen
in scripture is in Genesis 41:42, there Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in fine linen.
Joseph was a magnificent "type" of Christ, therefore he typified the
righteousness of Christ the Savior. As God demanded holy garments to be made
for Aaron and his sons, who were to perform the priestly functions in the
wilderness, we see that fine linen was a necessary part of the Ephod,
(Exodus 28:39). Aaron, as the high priest of the children of Israel while in
the wilderness, represented Christ, our high priest (Hebrews 9:11). Aaron's
holy garments would therefore be made of substances and figures pointing to the
spiritual substances and the attributes of Christ and His holy bride, the one
true Church universal.
Christ in many places throughout
scripture is typified by King David. Christ is prophesied in Isaiah 9:7 to
reign upon the Throne of David. King David was arrayed in fine linen (I
Chronicles 15:27).
God's eternal Jerusalem,
being typified by Old Testament national Israel, was arrayed in fine
linen back in Ezekiel 16:13.
PURPLE
As we mentioned in earlier
chapters, the color purple is another figurative picture of Christ and His
bride. It is seen in the tabernacle in the wilderness, as well as being a
pertinent color of Aaron's holy garments. This color is used in describing the
bride of Christ in Proverbs 31:22 and again in Song of Solomon 7:5.
Christ was robed in purple
as He stood before His accusers, readied for His crucifixion. Lydia and her
household became saved, as we read in Acts chapter sixteen. It is said of Lydia that she
was a seller of purple. Spiritually she was a proclaimer of the Gospel of
Christ, thus a "seller of purple." See chapters 5-6.
SILK
In Ezekiel chapter sixteen,
while describing God's spiritual Jerusalem
(Old and New Testament congregations), God uses a considerable amount of
symbolical language, of which much of Revelation chapter eighteen is drawn
from. In describing His earthly representation of His kingdom, i.e. Church, God
says that He clothed her with silk, Ezekiel 16:10,13. Again in Proverbs chapter
thirty-one we read of the virtuous woman whose price is far above rubies
(v.10), who can only be the bride of Christ, Old and New Testaments. She is
said to plead the cause of the poor and needy (v.9), and again she reaches out
her hands to the poor and needy (v.20). All of which is picturing her
corporately going about Christ's will in seeking God's lost sheep of the House
of Israel. The poor and needy being all of God's elect, all who have been
broken of their self-will, becoming poor in spirit and needy; not in need of
material substances such as food and clothing, but in spiritual need of eternal
salvation. This virtuous woman is said to be like merchants ships, in bringing
her food (spiritual merchandise) from afar (v.14). This beautiful metaphorical
chapter of the one True Church of Christ is dripping with figurative language
in describing God's bride, His elect. Yes, she is also clothed in silk
(v.22).
SCARLET
The virtuous woman (as mentioned
in the above section on "silk") has her clothing (which represents
the righteousness of Christ) made of silk. This silk is said to be scarlet
in color, Proverbs 31:21. Scarlet usually represents the blood of Christ.
Purple is the same in scripture as scarlet. The references pertaining to
scarlet are too numerous to mention. Much scarlet was used in the garnishing of
not only the tabernacle in the wilderness, but the garment of the High Priest
as well. The High Priest being a representation of Christ Jesus, our only
authority and High Priest, Hebrews 8:1. Exodus chapters twenty-five through
thirty-nine speak of these things.
We read in II Samuel 1:24:
"Ye daughters of Israel,
weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put
on ornaments of gold upon your apparel."
God's one true Israel, the spiritual "Israel
of God" (Galatians 6:16), is clothed in Christ's righteousness .... of
course. This spiritual apparel is represented by many different figures in
scripture, scarlet being only one. However, the corporate church consisting of
unsaved men and women will always insist that they too are God's elect, yet
they have never been "born-again" and therefore cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These false Christians, the false
church, mimics and impersonates the true Church, the only difference being that
they leave out portions of God's doctrine, or they add their own beliefs to
God's Divine Word, whereby exposing them as a false gospel. Nevertheless, they
claim to be clothed in scarlet, as we are discovering in Revelation
17:4.
One final note on the subject of
scarlet. Joshua is, in all probability, a picture and type of Christ. In
chapter two of Joshua we read that he sent two men to spy out the land of Jericho. These men typified Christ's
Church (represented by the number two). We find that they escaped their
pursuers only because of the scarlet thread made available to them in
which to flee. Again, another dramatic portrait of Christ being our only escape
from eternal hell and outer darkness. Scarlet is no longer found in the corporate
church, as are any of the real spiritual figures or symbols of the truth.
THYINE WOOD
Among everything that is missing
from this religious harlot's merchandise, thyine wood is included (Rev. 18:12).
This is the only place in all of scripture where this particular type of wood
is mentioned. 32*"Thyine" in the Greek denotes a certain
fragrant tree (in the sense of blowing), and is derived from a word meaning
"to do sacrifice. We find this word translated as "kill"
or "killed" in Matthew 22:4; Mark 14:12; Luke 15:23,27,30; 22:7; Acts
10:13. It is translated as "slay" in Acts 11:7 and as
"sacrifice" in Acts 14:13,18; I Cor. 5:7, 10:20. In most of these
cases these sacrifices have everything to do with the ultimate sacrifice of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He it is of whom the Old Testament sacrifices all ultimately
pointed toward.
The fact that this merchandise
is listed as wood (thyine wood) may be in keeping with the Old Testament
pictures and allegories. Much wood was used in the building of Solomon's Temple. The varieties of
wood mentioned all have their place in representing some spiritual aspect of
the true spiritual Temple
of Christ - His Body -
the Church.
VESSELS OF
IVORY
When we examine the word
"vessel" in the Old Testament, we find that it is associated with
many of the references, if not most of the references, to the many varying
instruments or "articles" used in both Solomon's Temple and the tabernacle in the wilderness.
For example, Exodus 27:19 reads: "All the vessels of the tabernacle in all
the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court,
brass." Again in Exodus 30:26-28 we read:
"And thou shalt anoint the
tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony."
"And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels,
and the altar of incense."
"And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the
laver and his foot."
Every major article of the
tabernacle had many vessels which served that particular function. The
Levities were given the priesthood. It was their job to perform the priestly
functions of the sanctuary. We read in Numbers 1:50:
"But thou shalt appoint the
Levities over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels
thereof, and over all things that (BELONG) to it; they shall bear the
tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto
it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle."
The vessels belonging to this
tabernacle in the wilderness were very important, for without them the priestly
functions could not be performed. II Chronicles 5:5 says that these vessels
were holy vessels that were in the tabernacle.
When we read the first two
verses of Daniel chapter one, we see a dramatic picture of the
"abomination of desolation," when Satan takes his seat in the Temple of God (II Thessalonians 2:4). Daniel 1:1
says that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
besieged Jerusalem in the third year of the
reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.
Nebuchadnezzar typifies Satan (the prince of this world) in scripture, as being
king of Babylon.
Verse two speaks of the vessels of the House of God (the Temple) being carried away into the land
of Shinar, which is the land of Babylon. All of this language typifies
Satan overtaking the congregations of the world (Babylon) at the end of time. It is important
to note that the vessels of the House of God were taken captive into Babylon. These vessels
may represent the false believers who are taken captive by Satan. Because they
are in the House of God, they are also characterized as vessels.
When we go to the New Testament
we read of vessels in the following verses:
"Hath not the potter power
over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour?" (Romans 9:21)
"What if God, willing to
shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction."
"And that he might make
known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had
afore prepared unto glory." (Romans 9:22-23)
"But we have this treasure
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and
not of us." (II Corinthians 4:7)
"That every one of you
should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and
honour." (I Thessalonians 4:4)
"If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and
meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (II Timothy
2:21)
Today's true believer is a vessel
of honour in God's eternal kingdom. The non-believers within the church are
vessels of wrath. These vessels of honour are also alluded to in Revelation
chapter eighteen as merchandise of which are found vessels of ivory.
Why?
Song of Solomon chapter five
describes Christ in all of His glory as His bride's "beloved." The
many wonderful figurative and spiritual depictions are too numerous to detail.
Among the many depictions, we read "... his belly is as bright ivory
overlaid sapphires." When we go to chapter seven we find Christ’s bride,
the Church, being described in allegorical terms. Verse four reads: "Thy
neck is as a tower of ivory... " As God created a bride for Adam,
we the Church of Christ have been created for Christ. We
are the vessels of ivory; spiritual merchandise belonging to Christ and
His Church, and masqueraded by Satan and his imitation (false) church. What
will become of this false church at the end of time? Amos 3:15 says:
"And I will smite the
winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall
perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD."
The "vessels of
Ivory," being listed in Revelation 18:12, is a portion of the merchandise
that is no longer found within the religious harlot. It is in no manner simply
referring to worldly and costly material goods. This cannot be. These are
spiritual descriptions of the things belonging to the true spiritual Temple of God. God's true vessels of ivory can no
longer mingle with this spiritual harlot; they must flee from her, for the fear
of her torment - her judgment.
FOOTNOTES
33* "Thoo'-ee-nos" from
Strong's Greek. from a der. of #2380 (in the sense of blowing; denoting a
certain fragrant tree); made of citron-wood:- thyine.
From ""thoo'-o" #2380
Strong's Greek. A prim. verb; prop. to rush (breathe hard, blow, smoke, i.e.
(by imply.) to sacrifice (prop. by fire, but gen.); by extens. to immolate
(slaughter for any purpose): - kill, (do).
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
(B)
The Merchant's
Merchandise (Continued)
PRECIOUS WOOD
Precious wood also falls under
the heading of "vessels," as we read from Revelation 18:12: "and
all manner vessels of most precious wood." The children of
God are indeed vessels of wood in God's eyes. The Greek word translated as
"wood" (xoo'-lon) in the King James is also the same Greek
word translated as "tree" in Revelation 2:7: "... to him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree [wood] of life, which is in
the midst of the paradise of God." Again this same word is found in
Revelation 22:2: "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of
the river, the tree [wood] of life..." A picture of our eternal
heavenly home. Christ Himself is pictured as an apple tree in Song of Solomon
2:3. Believers are clearly liken in scripture to trees, wood, and also a
forest. The word "wood" in the Old Testament comes mainly from two
Hebrew words, 33*"ates" and 34*"yah'-ar."
Wood in the Old Testament is also translated as "tree" or
"forest."
"She is a tree
["ates"] of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every
one that retaineth her." (Proverbs 3:18)
"The fruit of the righteous
is a tree ["ates"] of life; and he that winneth souls is
wise." (Proverbs 11:30)
"Let the field be joyful,
and all that is therein: then shall all the trees ["ates"] of
the wood rejoice." (Psalm 96:12)
"Until the spirit be poured
upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful
field be counted for a forest ["yah'-ar"]." (Isaiah
32:15)
"Is it yet a little while,
and Lebanon
shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed
as a forest ["yah'-ar"]."
"And in that day shall be deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of
the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah
29:17-18)
"Then shall the trees
["ates"] of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he
cometh to judge the earth." (I Chronicles 16:33)
"Sing, O ye heavens; for
the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into
singing, ye mountains, O forest ["yah'-ar"], and every tree
[wood], therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel."
(Isaiah 44:23)
"Feed thy people with thy
rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood
["yah'-ar"], in the midst of Carmel:
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the
days of old." (Micah 7:14)
It is this "wood,"
among other terms, symbolizing followers of the one true Gospel that is no
longer found within the harlot church. We must remember that God uses wood
numerous times - over and over again - in showing what He meticulously chose to
use in the building of His Holy Temple and the tabernacle in the wilderness.
Wood is only one of numerous materials used in His careful building. Everything
that went into the building of God's wilderness temple and His Temple in Jerusalem represented some spiritual aspect of the New
Testament Church of Christ, God's final Temple.
We read in Revelation 18:12 that
not only is this wood precious, but it is most precious. By examining the Greek
word 35*precious, we find that it must ultimately be associated with the
atonement of Christ on the cross. Every person elect of God was purchased with
the shed blood of Christ, causing them to become precious in His sight. The
word "Tim'-ee-os" (precious) is listed in the following verses:
"But the precious
[tim'-ee-os] blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
(1 Peter 1:19)
"That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious [tim'-ee-os] than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:17)
"Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious [tim'-ee-os] promises: that by these ye
might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is
in the world through lust." (II Peter 1:4)
"Marriage is honourable
[tim'-ee-os] in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God
will judge." (Hebrews 13:4)
"Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandmen waiteth for the precious
[tim'-ee-os] fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he
receive the early and latter rain."
"... and all manner vessels
of most precious [tim'-ee-os] wood..." (Revelation 18:12)
Having compared scripture with
scripture, and having examined the Greek and Hebrew words from which "precious
wood" is derived from, can we now say in all honesty that this
"precious wood," as viewed from Revelation chapter eighteen, is
nothing more than worldly merchandise? Is it material goods, costly and
precious to the businessmen of the world who trade in these commodities? The
destruction of Mystery Babylon is described in spiritual and parabolic terms,
and therefore cannot be correctly understood from a superficial reading of the
chapter. Why do most, who have spent time studying this chapter, unanimously
agree that "Babylon" of the great
tribulation era is a "symbol" of some sort representing the kingdom of Satan, and yet interpret the entire
eighteenth chapter of Revelation in a most literal manner?
BRASS
"But all the silver, and
gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they
shall come into the treasury of the LORD." (Joshua 6:19)
God says that these vessels of brass,
iron, silver, and gold are to be consecrated (made holy) unto the LORD.
Joshua chapter six gives an account of the fall of Jericho. The word "Joshua," which
means "salvation," is the Hebrew equivalent to the name of Jesus.
Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 translate "Jesus" as "Joshua" in
the Greek. Joshua led the Israelites in circling the city of Jericho once a day for seven day. On the
seventh day they circled the city seven times for a total of thirteen
encompassments. At that time the priests blew the rams horns and Joshua and the
Israelites gave a great shout and the walls of Jericho fell. All of this being a dramatic
miniature picture of Judgment Day, when all true believers will be raptured at
the sound of the last trumpet and at the shout of God. Jericho being a picture of the unsaved world.
The only thing that was saved out of Jericho
were the vessels of brass, iron, silver, and gold. Of course Rahab the
harlot and her household were saved, being a type of the Church, because she
hid the two messengers of God. She would spiritually be a vessel of brass,
iron, silver, and gold. These vessels were taken and put into the treasury of
the house of the LORD, which signifies the true Christian being taken into
God's heavenly house or treasury for eternity.
Christ is described throughout
scripture in many symbolical ways. His feet are like unto "fine brass"
in Revelation 1:15 and 2:18. It is Christ with feet of fine brass who is the
stone cut out without hands (Daniel 2:24), who smote Satan (typified by
Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel chapter two). Christ smote Satan at the cross. Satan in
scripture is pictured as a MAN: his head of fine gold, his breast and
his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, and
his feet of iron and clay, Daniel 2:32-33. We must not confuse ourselves when
we read of gold, silver, iron, and brass throughout scripture. Many are in the
negative sense while other passages plainly refer to Christ. All negative
passages of these vessels are most probably in reference to Christ's adversary,
who is the anti-Christ - Satan - depicted as a man in scripture. He is the
great imitator of Christ, no wonder he and his harlot church are symbolically
adorned in much identical apparel to Christ and His bride!
Zechariah saw in a vision the
four spirits of the heavens which went forth from standing before the Lord of
the earth (Zech. 6:5). These spirits of God were in the form of four chariots
which came out from between the mountains of brass. Mountains are
usually in reference to the kingdom
of God.
Micah 4:13 speaks of all
believers as "O daughter of Zion":
"Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion:
for I will make thy horn iron, and will make thine hoofs brass; and thou
shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the
LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth."
King Solomon's plans for
building God's Temple in Jerusalem called for:
"...of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver
ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one
hundred thousand talents of iron." ( 1 Chronicles 29:7)
Most, if not everything that God
used in the literal sense to build and furnish His Old Testament Temple
ultimately is describing and paralleling (with physical material) the
spirituality of His completed Temple, the Church of Jesus Christ. There are none (perhaps
few) of these symbolic and spiritual riches remaining in the corporate church,
as we arrive at the conclusion of the history of unregenerate man.
MARBLE
In the New Testament Greek the
word 37*"marble" (mar'-mar-os) is defined as "to
glisten"; "sparkling white"; "marble." We know that
Christ is spoken of in many passages as being white or white as snow.
Daniel 12:10 declares that "many shall be purified and made white,
and tried..." This Greek word is rooted from "mar'-toos,"
which is defined as "a witness; by analogy a marty." It is
also used as "record."
"But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
["mar'-toos": root to "mar'-mar-os" - to glisten, sparkle
white, marble] ..." (Acts 1:8)
"And I will give power unto
my two witnesses ["mar'-toos"]..." (Revelation 11:3)
"And when the blood of thy martyr
["mar'-toos"] Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and
consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him."
(Acts 22:20)
"And I saw the woman drunken
with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs
["mar'-toos"] of Jesus..." (Revelation 17:6)
"For God is my record
["mar'-toos"; the base of "mar'-mar-os": to sparkle white;
to glisten; to be a witness, martyr, or record for Christ; the base of marble],
how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ."
(Philippians 1:8)
When we go to the Hebrew Old
Testament we find the word marble 38*("shah'-yish") meaning to
whiten; white linen; silk; to bleach stuff; or marble. For example, we
read in 1 Chronicles 29:2 of King David's plans for God's Temple:
"Now I have prepared with
all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold,
and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron
for things of iron, wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set,
glistering [remember marble meant to glisten?] stones, and of divers
colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble
["shay'-yish": bleach; white linen; silk] stones in abundance."
As we mentioned earlier,
Proverbs chapter thirty-one speaks of the bride of Christ as the virtuous woman
(Proverbs 31:10). In verse eighteen we are told that she perceiveth that her
merchandise is good. Clearly, this chapter is not speaking of merchants
trafficking in precious cargo across the seas as in Revelation chapter
eighteen. Yet, this virtuous woman's merchandise is essentially the same as
that of Revelation chapter eighteen. Why? Because her merchandise is
spiritual in nature. Her merchandise is symbolic; it represents all
believers in Christ. It is characteristic of the spiritual traits of the Gospel
of Christ and His Church. And again, her merchandise represents the many
varying portraits of which God has meticulously painted throughout scripture in
picturing Christ and His bride in pictures and symbols.
"She maketh herself
coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk ["shah'-ish": to
bleach, whiten, silk, by analogy marble] and purple." (Proverbs 31:22)
Song of Solomon chapter five
speaks of "my beloved" (verse ten), who is the bridegroom - Christ
Himself. This entire chapter provides beautiful and metaphorical depictions of
the Saviour.
"His legs are as pillars of
marble ["shah'-yins], set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance
is as Lebannon, excellent as the cedars."
Every believer is an inheritor
of the kingdom of
God, for Christ has given
us this eternal promise. We inherit the righteousness of Christ and everything
that goes along with it. We too are clothed with Christ' clothing. Ezekiel
chapter sixteen displays much of this spiritual clothing belonging to Christ's
bride:
"I clothed thee also with
broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with
fine linen, and I covered thee with silk ["Shah'-yish": to
bleach as white linen; marble]. (Ezekiel 16:10)